Steve Mehs
01-16-03, 04:15 AM
PanAmSat, the commercial satellite operator controlled by Hughes Electronics, is eyeing Australian Ka-Band capacity while giving up most of its U.S. Ka-Band capacity.
PanAmSat said Tuesday it filed for nine Ka-Band orbital slots through the Australian Communications Authority (ACA), the country's telecommunications commission. The ACA forwarded the filings to the International Telecommunications Union for final approval.
The Australian Ka-Band filings will replace all but one of PanAmSat's U.S. Ka-Band orbital filings. A PanAmSat spokesperson confirmed the company's Ka-Band moves for the United States, but wouldn't state what orbital locations are impacted by the decision.
Ka-Band promises to deliver next-generation satellite services, such as satellite-based broadband.
"We believe that the market for broadband services using Ka-Band is more likely to develop within the timeframe of our new filings in the later part of this decade," said James Cuminale, executive vice president, corporate development and general counsel at PanAmSat. "Given the current market climate, we decided to relinquish our U.S. Ka-Band orbital locations, which would have required systems to be placed in service before 2005."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/jan2003/011603.shtm#two) (Used with Permission)
PanAmSat said Tuesday it filed for nine Ka-Band orbital slots through the Australian Communications Authority (ACA), the country's telecommunications commission. The ACA forwarded the filings to the International Telecommunications Union for final approval.
The Australian Ka-Band filings will replace all but one of PanAmSat's U.S. Ka-Band orbital filings. A PanAmSat spokesperson confirmed the company's Ka-Band moves for the United States, but wouldn't state what orbital locations are impacted by the decision.
Ka-Band promises to deliver next-generation satellite services, such as satellite-based broadband.
"We believe that the market for broadband services using Ka-Band is more likely to develop within the timeframe of our new filings in the later part of this decade," said James Cuminale, executive vice president, corporate development and general counsel at PanAmSat. "Given the current market climate, we decided to relinquish our U.S. Ka-Band orbital locations, which would have required systems to be placed in service before 2005."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/jan2003/011603.shtm#two) (Used with Permission)