Intelsat was the successful bidder in the Oct. 29 auction for the ProtoStar 1 satellite. The satellite, built by Space Systems Loral, has 22 Ku-band and 38 C-band transponders, and was launched in July 2008.
ProtoStar is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and Intelsat will change the name of the satellite to Intelsat 25. According to Lyngsat.com the satellite is located at 98.5 degrees east longitude. It was originally called Chinasat 8.
"Intelsat continues to demonstrate its ability to execute transactions that enhance the value of its global network," said Phillip Spector, Intelsat executive vice president and general counsel. "A healthy, in-orbit satellite is extremely valuable to us given our high fleet utilization. The additional inventory will support future revenue growth and provide resilience. Over the past several years we have enjoyed strong demand for our services in Africa, and this capacity will allow us to support the growth requirements of our customers, including wireless operators and broadband service providers."
Ne noted that due to the scale of the company and its satellite locations, it would be able to incorporate the Intelsat 25 bird with a "minimal incremental cost" and should be able to quickly turn it into a revenue producer.
Spacenews.com reported Intelsat spokesman Dianne J. VanBeber as saying that the company is likely to move the satellite to a vacant slot over the Atlantic Ocean, possibly 328.5 degrees east longitude, and use it to cover Africa.
Intelsat won the auction with a $210 million cash bid.
