MUMBAI: Intelsat announced today that its IS-10-02 satellite was successfully launched aboard an ILS Proton launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrone, Kazakhstan.

The satellite is expected to become operational this August.

Once in position at 359ºE, the IS-10-02 satellite will offer capacity for video, Internet, corporate networks, telephony and hybrid space/terrestrial solutions to customers on its 70 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders (measured in 36 MHz equivalent units). The satellite will provide high power Ku-band spot beam coverage for Europe and the Middle East, ideally suited to support corporate VSATs, broadcast content distribution and broadband applications, including high-speed Internet access, multicasting and streaming; and C-band capacity to customers in South America, Europe, Africa and portions of Asia and North America, a company release says.

The IS-10-02 satellite will replace the IS-707, which currently holds the 359ºE orbital slot but will be moved to a new location at 307ºE to support customer demand in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Approximately 50 per cent of the satellite's Ku-band transponders are owned by the Norwegian company Telenor Broadcast Holdings AS, through its subsidiary Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, the leading satellite operator and satellite services provider in the Nordic Countries, and a long-standing customer of Intelsat. Canal Digital AS, the largest distributor of pay-TV services in the Nordic market together with other customers will use the satellite for television, broadband, voice, data and Internet applications in Europe and the Middle East.

Intelsat, Ltd CEO Conny Kullman was quoted as saying, "The successful launch of the IS-10-02 - the most powerful spacecraft in our global fleet - demonstrates Intelsat's commitment to engineering excellence. This successful launch, celebrated during the year of Intelsat's 40th anniversary, reinforces our historic commitment to delivering the highest quality communications and technology to our customers throughout the world."

Stig Eide Sivertsen, CEO of Telenor Broadcast said "We have enjoyed working with Intelsat over the years and especially on the procurement of this satellite. Its new high power footprint will help provide competitive advantage for us and our customers in Europe and the Middle East."