Antrix Signs Contract with AAP for Satellite Services in India.

Business Editors

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2001

Americom Asia-Pacific (AAP) announced today that Antrix Corporation Limited has signed a multi-year service agreement to lease as many as three transponders on the GE-1A satellite. The satellite will supplement INSAT's domestic satellite fleet and will be able to provide Ku-band service to VSAT operators throughout India.

Mr. N. Sampath, Executive Director, Antrix Corporation, commented, "We have selected AAP to supplement our satellite fleet because of its satellite's excellent coverage of India and because of the commitment that AAP's founders, GE Americom and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, have made in our country. Antrix has already been providing network monitoring support services to GE-1A on a long-term basis."

"We are delighted that Antrix has chosen AAP to expand its available capacity of Ku-band transponders in India," said Elias Zaccack, Managing Director of AAP. "We are honored to be associated with such a professional organization in India - particularly one that has demonstrated successful manufacturing, launch and operation of geostationary satellites. We look forward to the continued expansion of our relationship with Antrix in the future."

GE-1A, a powerful Ku-band satellite, which is located at 108.2 degrees E.L., provides service via three beams to greater China, south Asia including India, and northeast Asia and the Philippines. The spacecraft features 28 active 36 MHz Ku-band transponders with 120 watt SSPAs, eight of which are focused over India. The satellite is an A2100AX spacecraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. The satellite will deliver Internet applications, VSAT, data and telecommunications services, cable and direct-to-home broadcast programming. The satellite was successfully launched on October 2, 2000 and became operational the following month

About ANTRIX Corporation Limited

Antrix Corporation, based in Bangalore, is a wholly-owned company of the Government of India established in 1992 for the marketing of space products and services.

About Americom Asia-Pacific, LLC 

Americom Asia-Pacific (AAP) is a 50/50 joint venture company of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, a provider of advanced telecommunications and information technology solutions to customers worldwide, and GE Americom, one of the world's pioneers in specialized, satellite-based distribution services. Formed in 1998, AAP has offices in Singapore with additional sales and technical support teams in New Delhi, Beijing, and Hong Kong.