Intelsat has announced the launch of its newest communications satellite, the Horizons 3e, achieving global coverage with its EpicNG constellation.
Horizons 3e was launched by Arianespace on Tuesday. Signal acquisition has now been confirmed, and the satellite is expected to come into commercial operation in the first quarter of next year.
The Horizons3e satellite is being operated in a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT, and will provide coverage in Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
It has been built by Boeing based on the Intelsat EpicNG design. It operates in the C- and Ku-bands and makes use of wide beams, spot beams and frequency reuse technology to improve performance. Intelsat's EpicNG constellation is integrated with its existing satellite fleet and global terrestrial network.
The Horizons 3e is the first EpicNG satellite to make use of a multiport amplifier enabling power portability across all Ku-band spot beams to adjust power according to customer throughput demands.
“The demand for broadband connectivity has never been greater. The proven and unique performance of the Intelsat EpicNG platform, combined with our global wide-beam satellite fleet, enables us to uniquely fulfill customer demands across a wide range of verticals and applications,” Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said.
“Along with our long-standing partner SKY Perfect JSAT, we look forward to helping our customers in the region expand their business and achieve their growth objectives.”