The large, high-powered, C-band satellite, the first operating Spacebus 4000, is scheduled to begin commercial service by April 8, 2005.

As operations on the new spacecraft get underway, three regional operators are implementing discrete marketing plans specially developed for the satellite.

SES Americom will be offering AMC-12 capacity to interconnect the U.S. with Europe/Middle East/Africa and with South America, as well as to deliver services throughout Latin America.

SES ASTRA has branded its 33 AMC-12 transponders offering services into Africa as "ASTRA 4A" (see ASTRA's Skyvision release of March 21).

And, Star One has purchased 18 transponders on the new satellite to expand its services portfolio within South America and will integrate the capacity into their fleet as "Star One C-12".

Dany Harel, SES Americom's Vice President of Space Systems and Operations, said, "The IOT has been remarkably smooth and we have every confidence that for the next 15 years AMC-12 will deliver the strongest available C-band signals into Africa, Middle East and Europe and throughout the Americas, satisfying the needs of broadcasters, fixed and mobile data and telecommunications networks, and ISPs.

"AMC-12 bears the distinctive attributes of an Americom-specified spacecraft with high levels of redundancy in critical infrastructure and subsystems; Alcatel delivered a great next generation satellite."

Edson Soffiatti, Star One President, said, "Star One C-12 transponders will allow us to address the international coverage our customers are demanding. In addition, this capacity will provide the necessary protection to our fleet while we replace Brasilsat B1 and B2 with the new birds Star One C1 and C2."

AMC-12 Satellite

Built by Alcatel Space, the Spacebus 4000 spacecraft, the first of this generation platform, has been prepared for service at the 37.5 degrees West longitude orbital position.

AMC-12 is a high-powered C-band satellite with seventy-two 36 MHz transponders organized into three regional beams: North America, South America and Europe/Middle East/Africa.

The satellite's advanced design and high power levels ... from 67 watts in Europe/Middle East/Africa and South America to 33 watts in North America ... will support a wide range of applications from TV broadcasting to high-speed internet connections, facilitating reception and higher data throughput to smaller C-band antennas.

AMC-12's extensive coverage reaches from the U.S. to the eastern reaches of the Mediterranean, and from Cape Town, South Africa to Lima, Peru.

For additional flexibility and reach, the three beams may be interconnected through on-board switching on an individual transponder basis.

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