CAPE CANAVERAL, FL, Apr 14, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) --
ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited (ICO) (NASDAQ: ICOG)
announced today that it has successfully launched its North American
geosynchronous satellite, ICO G1. ICO will be conducting alpha trials for
its fully interactive mobile video, navigation and emergency assistance
service to be known as ICO mim™
(mobile interactive media) later this year.
ICO G1 was launched at
4:12 pm Eastern (US) time, and was successfully placed into its initial
geosynchronous transfer orbit at 4:43 pm. The initial telemetry and
command contact with the spacecraft was established through the Perth,
Australia ground station. The final position of the spacecraft will be at
92.85 degrees west longitude and will provide service to the entire United
States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
"Today's launch of
ICO G1 was flawless," reported Bob Day, ICO senior vice president, space
systems. "The spacecraft correctly separated from the launch vehicle 30.8
minutes after liftoff. Telemetry signals have been received and the
spacecraft appears healthy."
"With our launch of ICO G1, ICO
is now poised to deliver a new generation of mobile services for
consumers," commented Tim Bryan, chief executive officer of ICO. "We look
forward to meeting our 12th and final FCC milestone by May 15, 2008, when
we anticipate certifying that ICO G1 is operational. Later this summer we
will commence market trials in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Raleigh Durham
area of North Carolina for our mobile interactive media service, ICO mim™,
which we expect to launch commercially later in 2009."
About
ICO G1
ICO G1 is an innovative next-generation satellite designed
to deliver a wide variety of interactive services to mobile and portable
devices. ICO G1 was constructed by Space Systems/Loral using the Loral
1300 platform. The satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on
board an Atlas V 421 launch vehicle provided by United Launch Alliance and
was launched by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. With a total
mass of 6634kg, ICO G1 is the largest satellite ever launched by an Atlas
rocket, and is the largest commercial satellite ever launched.
ICO
G1 will operate in the 2 GHz S-band and will provide coverage to the
United States and most of North America. The S-band antenna has an
aperture of 12 meters and was built by Harris Corporation.
ICO G1
is the first satellite to utilize an innovative ground-based beam forming
(GBBF) system for both satellite-receive and satellite-transmit
directions. GBBF will provide unprecedented flexibility in operation for
the spacecraft to form S-band antenna beams, flexibility in assigning
frequencies and power, and will accommodate any modulation protocol within
ICO's licensed spectrum. GBBF can form up to 250 transmit and 250 receive
independent S-band beams.
About ICO
ICO Global
Communications (Holdings) Limited is a satellite communications company
developing an advanced next-generation hybrid media system, combining both
satellite and terrestrial communications capabilities. ICO G1 is capable
of supporting wireless voice, data, and/or Internet services throughout
the United States on mobile and portable devices. ICO is deploying a
mobile interactive media service known as ICO mim™.
ICO mim will combine ICO's unique interactive satellite capability with
nationwide coverage to deliver a new level of navigation, enhanced
roadside assistance and the ultimate mobile video experience, including
10-15 live channels of premium television content. ICO is based in Reston,
Virginia. For more information, visit www.ico.com.
Safe Harbor
Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including statements regarding the timing of certifying ICO G1
operational, as well as alpha trials and commercial availability of the
ICO mim service. The forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
our expected results, including the potential for further launch delays.
More information about risks is contained in ICO's most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release
speak as of the date hereof, and ICO undertakes no obligation to revise or
update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Image
Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=737769
Contact:
Christopher
Doherty ICO 703-964-1414 Email Contact
Lori Russo Stanton
Communications 240-350-7882 Email Contact
SOURCE: ICO
Global Communications
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=870D9D7FAE32A0E3
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=D76550D647AB2090
Copyright
2008 Market Wire, All rights reserved.
News Provided by COMTEX
