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Alcatel Alenia Space-built AMC-23 telecommunication satellite ready to be integrated on a Proton rocket in Baikonur, Kazakhstan


WEBWIRE

Paris, November 28, 2005 - Twenty four months after the signature of the contract, Alcatel Alenia Space - the prime contractor - announced that the AMC-23 communications satellite is ready to be integrated on the Proton/Breeze M rocket in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Dedicated to the U.S. operator SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company, AMC-23 is scheduled for launch on December 6, 2005 by International Launch Services on a Proton Breeze M.

This advanced, high-powered hybrid C/Ku-band satellite will operate over the Pacific region. From this single satellite, communications will be sent from California to Bangladesh and from Alaska to Australia and New Zealand. This hybrid satellite, positioned at 172 degrees East Longitude, will serve local, transcontinental and transoceanic customers across the Pacific region, including Western North America, Eastern Asia, the South Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii and provide links to the world’s premier regional satellite systems.

The satellite’s Ku-band payload composed of 20 high-powered transponders with bandwidths ranging from 27 to 36 MHz, has been designed to meet the particular requirements of AMERICOM’s customer, Connexion by Boeing, for the delivery of high-speed broadband services to commercial airline passengers throughout the Pacific region. In addition, the 18 transponder C-band payloads will be available to broadcasters, cable programmers, Internet service providers, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and private networks for next generation distribution solutions and connectivity to North America and Pacific Rim.

Alcatel Alenia Space President and CEO Pascale Sourisse said: « We are proud to strengthen the mutual trust between Alcatel Alenia Space and SES AMERICOM. With this 4th Spacebus satellite, which will soon be part of AMERICOM’s fleet, we have again expanded our range of technological expertise to meet the needs of new satellite-based services like high-speed Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to aircraft in flight ».

With a launch mass of approximately 5 metric tons, a power of 13 kW, AMC-23 is the fourth Spacebus 4000* telecommunication satellite to be launched this year and will be the fourth Spacebus satellite delivered to SES AMERICOM** in seven years.

* AMC-12, Apstar VI, Syracuse IIIA, AMC-23
** AMC-5, AMC-9, AMC-12, AMC-23

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space, leader in satellite systems and at the forefront of orbit infrastructures, brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody’s future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defence to science and observation. An affiliate of Alcatel (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), Alcatel Alenia Space generated an estimated turnover of 1.8 billion euros with around 7,200 people in 2004.

About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks; applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.3 billion and 56,000 employees in 2004, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.



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