IPTV Technology Featured Article

Space Systems/Loral Delivers EchoStar XI Sateliite for DISH Network

By Anuradha Shukla, TMCnet Contributing Editor

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced today that it delivered EchoStar XI to the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach, California this week.

 

EchoStar XI is designed as a powerful 20-kw satellite, and is expected to expand capacity for DISH Network, according to John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (News - Alert) and a provider of commercial satellites.

 

EchoStar XI is the fourth satellite that Space Systems/Loral has shipped for launch in 2008 and they expect to see a number of additional launches before the end of 2008, company officials say.

 

Built for an affiliate of DISH Network Corporation, EchoStar XI is a powerful direct broadcast satellite (DBS), which is scheduled for launch later this summer. The satellite will be launched aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Sea Launch Odyssey platform in the Pacific Ocean.

 

Rohan Zaveri, vice president of Space Programs for DISH Network, explained in a statement that there is a good deal of anticipation as the companies gear up for the EchoStar XI launch. Each time Space Systems/Loral delivers a satellite to DISH Network, they’re reminded of the success of their ongoing working relationship and the company’s ability to meet their evolving requirements, Zaveri said.

 

Based on SS/L’s space-proven 1300 platform, the new satellite will be the fifth SS/L built satellite in the DISH fleet. SS/L’s platform is designed to provide flexibility for a variety of applications, according to the company. Once the new satellite has been launched and have completed the in-orbit testing, it will support the expansion of DISH Network’s programming and services, company officials say.

 

DISH Network Corporation provides more than 13.78 million satellite TV customers with customer satisfaction, a figure which has surpassed major cable companies for seven years running, according to the company.

 

Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anuradha’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

 

Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Fixed Service Strategies for Mobile Network Operators, brought to you by Comverse (News - Alert).

Internet Protocol (IP)	X
IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data in packets over the Internet. I...more

Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)	X
Spectrum is the allocation of specific frequency assignments into bands like AM-Amplitude Modulation at 510-1440 kilohertz, FM-Frequency Modulation at 89-108 megahertz , WiFi-Wireless Fidelity and cor...more