RESTON, VA, May 25, 2007 - Satnews Daily - ICO Global Communications (Holdings), Ltd (ICO) (NASDAQ:ICOG) has signed a launch services and dual launch study agreement with ILS International Launch Services (ILS).
With this contract, ICO has established a Proton launch services agreement for up to five launches in the 2009 through 2011 timeframe. In addition, ILS will design and propose a dual launch capability for ICO’s Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites.
Bob Day, ICO’s senior vice president, Space Systems, commented that ILS is well-known for their reliability, and with the lift capacity of the Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, ICO looks forward to the cost effective launch of ICO’s Boeing satellites or those of another satellite vendor. “Our goal, of course, is to add satellites to our existing ICO MEO constellation in a timely and economic manner.”
“ILS successfully placed the first satellite in orbit for ICO in 2001,” said Frank McKenna, president of International Launch Services. “We are very pleased to continue our direct support of ICO in this exciting next chapter of their business.”
ICO’s announcement follows a warning from the UK’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) that said it might cancel the ITU registration of the ICO-P frequency assignments if ICO does not provide evidence it has entered into binding contracts and has the necessary funding to bring its ICO-P mobile satellite system into full commercial use. Ofcom gave ICO a June 30 deadline for compliance.
Ofcom is the regulator for communication industries in the United Kingdom. It is also in charge of a large chunk of the electromagnetic spectrum, and licenses portions of it for use in TV and radio broadcasts, mobile phone transmissions and private communications networks.
ICO is authorized to operate a MEO satellite system globally pursuant to regulations promulgated by the UK and by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
ICO is a next-generation satellite communications company that is developing an advanced hybrid system, combining both satellite and terrestrial communications capabilities, in order to offer wireless voice, data, video, and Internet services on mobile and portable devices.
