Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites, is scheduled to be launched on Wednesday 27 January 2016, aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Intelsat's EpicNG satellites have been manufactured by Boeing and are fully interoperable in both C- and Ku-band with the entire Intelsat satellite fleet. The Intelsat EpicNG satellites will operate the most advanced digital payload commercially available, providing commercial and government customers access to high throughput capabilities, which will result in a flexible broadband infrastructure that will scale to meet their needs.
Intelsat 29e will replace 1R and 805 of Intelsat, enabling the delivery of enterprise-grade, broadband services to fixed and mobile network operators, aero and maritime mobility service providers, and to government customers operating throughout the Americas. Spot beams for mobility customers will also be provided by the satellite to serve the heavily trafficked North Atlantic region. Companies such as Harris CapRock, Panasonic, EMC (formerly MTN) and Axesat, as well as leading national telecom operators in Latin America, have been announced as amoung the first to deploy services on the platform.
"This is an exciting time for our company, with Intelsat leading the way with new satellite-based solutions that address the needs of our always-connect world," commented Stephen Spengler, Chief Executive Officer of Intelsat. "With broadband demands only increasing, Intelsat 29e will enable our customers to extend the reach of their networks and provide high quality, fast, reliable connectivity, whether they are serving end users in flight, at sea or increasing the amount of throughput on existing broadband infrastructure."
He continued: "With 2016 fast approaching, Intelsat 29e is completed and awaiting shipment to the launch site. Intelsat continues to work closely with Boeing and Arianespace to ensure that Intelsat 29e is ready for its planned January launch date and to mark the next evolution in Intelsat’s longstanding history of innovation."
Intelsat 29e is the first of the next generation EpicNG satellite fleet of Intelsat to combine wide beams and spot means with frequency reuse technology to meet growing worldwide demand for broadband connectivity. Intelsat29e will be the 56th Intelsat satellite orbited by Arianespace and the first dedicated launch aboard an Arian 5 rocket for the satellite provider.
Intelsat expects to launch Intelsat 33e, the second satellite in the EpicNG fleet, in the third quarter of 2016. Also launched aboard an Arianespace rocket, this second satellite will serve Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Photo by OneWeb (Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler)
