Space Systems/Loral Delivers WildBlue-1 Broadband Satellite to Launch Base

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ― Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) said on Thursday it has delivered WildBlue-1 to the Arianespace spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled for launch in early December. Built for WildBlue Communications, Inc., a provider of satellite broadband access for rural areas, small cities, and locations with limited existing broadband infrastructure, the satellite will enable WildBlue to triple its customer capacity in the United States.

David Leonard, chief executive officer of WildBlue Communications, Inc., said WildBlue-1 will help the company keep pace with its rapidly increasing customer demand.

SS/L said WildBlue-1 is one of the world's first commercial all Ka-band satellites, which takes advantage of a different portion of the radio spectrum with substantially more capacity than is available in the Ku-band, a more common frequency used for satellite communications. The spacecraft is designed to provide fast and affordable two-way wireless Internet access via satellite directly to homes and small offices in communities throughout the contiguous United States where terrestrial broadband access alternatives are either limited or unavailable.

John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral, said WildBlue is a bellwether for the success of broadband services via satellite. “The new satellite delivered today demonstrates how an innovative and flexible satellite design, which meets some very unique technical requirements, can continue to broaden the world's ability to communicate,” he said.

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