Maxar Technologies, a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure, announced it will build four geostationary communications satellites for satellite operator Intelsat. The contract was previously disclosed with Maxar's 2020 first quarter results.
Intelsat ordered the satellites to transition its existing media distribution and contribution services“uninterrupted“from the 3.7 to 4.0 gigahertz portion of the C-band, to the 4.0 to 4.2 gigahertz portion of the band as part of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to reallocate 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum for 5G terrestrial wireless services.
Under the agreement, Maxar will deliver the Galaxy 31, Galaxy 32, Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 satellites in 2022. The satellites will provide primarily video distribution services to customers in the continental United States.
Maxar is proud to continue its partnership with Intelsat that goes back more than 40 years, said Megan Fitzgerald, Maxar's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Space Infrastructure. Maxar's 1300-class spacecraft remains the industry gold standard for value, reliability and flexibility, and we look forward to exceeding our customers' expectations in these regards.
Intelsat looks forward to supporting the FCC in successfully transitioning the C-band spectrum and accelerating America's path to 5G “ all while safeguarding the high-quality media broadcast services in the band that more than 100 million American households currently rely on, said Mike DeMarco, Intelsat's Chief Services Officer. Partnering with Maxar ensures that we will have the highest quality satellites in service on time to meet the FCC's aggressive transition schedule and execute a seamless transition for our customers.
