Washington/March 28, 2001/Satnews/ -- New Skies Satellites N.V. (NYSE: NSK; AEX: NSK), the global satellite communications company, has signed a contract with Boeing Satellite Systems for a Boeing 702 satellite which, at 105 degrees West longitude, will provide full coverage of the Americas.

The contract specifies in-orbit delivery of an 88-transponder satellite, designated NSS-8, in the third quarter of 2003 aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL launcher and includes options for up to two follow-on spacecraft.

NSS-8 will be one of only two satellites simultaneously able to cover the full 50 states of the U.S. and all of Central and South America and the only satellite with a C band beam covering the entire region. The satellite will offer an unprecedented range and capacity of U.S.-to-Latin America connectivity options.

In addition, worldwide content can be aggregated at New Skies' mediaports on the West and East coasts of the U.S. through New Skies' oceanic satellites or via fiber for delivery to both North and Latin America.

The high level of interconnectivity among broad and regionally-targeted beams on the satellite will allow networks to deliver customized content to regional audiences or, alternatively, to serve common audiences across the entire Americas.

With among the highest available power levels for fixed satellite services in the Americas (more than 50 dBW Ku-band and 42 dBW C-band), NSS-8 will be an ideal platform for the delivery of video and broadband multimedia services to homes, offices and cable head-ends.

NSS-8 has been optimized for the typical asymmetric nature of Internet traffic, allowing bandwidth to be allocated differentially between inbound and outbound content. Furthermore, by providing an overlay to the terrestrial fiber network, NSS-8 will allow content providers to bring content directly to the edge of the net, bypassing congested terrestrial networks.

The Boeing 702 is Boeing's largest satellite, and payload power of 14kW throughout the satellite's 16-year operational lifetime makes it one of the most powerful satellites commercially-available.

Bob Ross, Chief Executive Officer of New Skies said: "Entering a market long dominated by incumbent players, it was critical for New Skies to be able to offer customers the best technical solutions, the most comprehensive coverage and the most favorable commercial terms. This satellite will do that.

"As a 20-year veteran of the international television-by-satellite distribution industry, this is the best platform I've seen."

"We are extremely pleased to welcome New Skies Satellites into the family of BSS customers," said Randy Brinkley, acting president of Boeing Satellite Systems. "By purchasing the Boeing 702, New Skies has opted for the ultimate in power and capability. This is a strategic new win for us, and NSS-8 will be a great match for New Skies' needs at this important new orbital slot."

About NSS-8

• Orbital location: 105 degrees West longitude.

• Capacity: 88 transponders (46 C band, 42 Ku band).

• Interconnectivity: Extensive intra-satellite interconnectivity makes it possible to uplink content from key aggregation points within one region for downlink in any of the coverage areas.

• Payload Power: 14 kW throughout life.

• Downlink Power: 42 dBW in C-band and more than 50 dBW in Ku-band.

• Launch mass: 5,700 kgs.

• Projected operational life: 16 years.

• Launcher: Sea Launch Zenit 3SL.

• Expected launch: Third quarter, 2003.  

Meanwhile, New Skies Satellites N.V. also announced that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has granted the company's request for full authority to serve customers in the U.S. market.

To date, U.S.-based customers were allowed to use New Skies satellites only until August 2002. Removal of this temporary restriction was subject to New Skies' compliance with a number of conditions established in a recent U.S. law.

Robert Ross, Chief Executive Officer of New Skies Satellites, said: "We are delighted that the FCC has normalized the licenses of our U.S. customers. 

This will allow us to compete on a level playing field with other private commercial satellite operators serving the U.S. market. It also encourages us to exploit our orbital slots in the U.S. arc and to expand both our satellite fleet and service offerings for the U.S. market.

"By ensuring that New Skies can compete fairly in the market, the FCC's  decision is a victory for New Skies and a victory for U.S. satellite users and  the public."

New Skies is a global satellite communications company with five satellites in geosynchronous orbit and ground facilities around the world. In addition to NSS-8, New Skies has two new satellites under construction, one due for launch in late 2001 over the Atlantic Ocean Region and the second in late 2002 over Asia. Headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and with offices in London, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, DC, New Skies is one of only three fixed satellite services companies with truly global satellite coverage. New Skies offers video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and Internet service providers around the world. In line with its growth strategy, New Skies has secured rights to make use of six additional orbital positions and continues to broaden and diversify its customer base and to expand its provision of value-added, bundled communications services.

By combining its satellite resources with terrestrial communications facilities, New Skies plans to provide a broadening range of state-of-the-art, value-added, high-quality satellite communications services. New Skies' fastest growing revenue stream comes from data transmissions, including Internet traffic and corporate networks. New Skies estimates that approximately 61% of new business in 2000 was for Internet services.

The company completed its Initial Public Offering in October 2000, listing on both the Euronext Amsterdam exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

Additional information is available at http://www.newskies.com

Boeing Satellite Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of communications satellites and a major provider of space systems, satellites, and payloads for national defense, science and environmental applications.

The Boeing Company, headquartered in Seattle, is the largest aerospace company in the world and the United States' leading exporter. It is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, and the largest NASA contractor. The company's capabilities in aerospace also include rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, rocket engines, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communication systems. The company has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries and manufacturing operations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.

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