ENTEL Given Authority to Operate ICO Ground Station in Chile to Support ICO Satellite Control
Business Wire - July 26, 1999 13:16
SANTIAGO, Chile--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 1999--ICO Global
Communications, the global mobile communications company, today announced that
ENTEL (Chile) has received a full frequency spectrum license to operate ICO's
Satellite Access Note (SAN) at Longovilo.
This will enable ENTEL to provide feeder links, andas well as telemetry, tracking and
control (TT&C) functions, in the 5/7 GHz bands from the Chile SAN, one of six of
ICO's ground stations that have a TT&C facility.
Chile's Minister of Transport and Telecommunications issued the license under the
terms of the supreme decree N. 151 dated March 26, 1999 and approved by the
Contraloria General de la Republica on June 16, 1999.
The authorization marks a major regulatory milestone for ICO in the development of its
ground network, with ICO's first satellite scheduled for launch later this year. The
Chilean approval allows ENTEL to provide support essential for in-orbit control of the
ICO satellite constellation, as well as full connectivity of the ICO satellite system to the
terrestrial public telecommunication networks (PSTNs).
The other five TT&C SAN sites are in the United States (Brewster, Washington),
South Africa, Germany, Australia and India, and an additional four ICO SANs are
near completion elsewhere. The Longovilo SAN in Chile is a fundamental element of
ICO's Latin American strategy. It also plays an important role in ICO's system as a
whole, by providing coverage in Southeast Pacific and South America, the Southeast
Pacific and South Atlantic oceans.
ICO Chief Executive Officer Richard Greco said: "This is a significant step forward for
us in the important South American market. We have more challenges ahead, but our
team of partners and investors will prove to be up to the task. We are particularly
grateful to ENTEL for its efforts in gaining this license on behalf of ICO."
Richard Buchi, Chief Executive Officer of Entel, said: "We are very pleased to have
been granted this final license for the ICO SAN site at Longovilo. We will continue to
show our commitment to the ICO system in the future by ensuring full compliance with
the operational objectives at the SAN site, with the aim of contributing to the success
of ICO's mobile satellite services."
The Longovilo SAN will use frequencies at 5178-5182 MHz and 5242-5246 MHz
for Earth-to-space TT&C transmission, and 7010.6-7013.1 MHz and 7071.6-7074.4
for space-to-Earth TT&C transmission.
Editors' Notes:
ICO Global Communications (Nasdaq: ICOGF) was established in January 1995 as a
private company to provide global mobile personal communications services by
satellite, including digital voice, data, fax and messaging services.
It has raised approximately $3 billion to date from equity and debt investors. Among
its investors are more than 60 strategic partners and investors, comprising
telecommunications and technology companies from over 50 markets around the
world. In July of 1998, ICO was listed on Nasdaq in New York and became a public
company.
ICO started its initial commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 1998 with its
ICOroam service. This service permits international travelers to use their home cellular
number as they travel in cellular systems incompatible with their home cellular service.
ICO expects to begin commercial operations of its mobile satellite services in the third
quarter of next year.
Visit the ICO Website at: www.ico.com, containing an extensive press office and
image library.
CONTACT: ICO Global Communications
Joe Tedino, 202/887-8111
Mobile: 202/255-0892
Email: joseph.tedino@ico.com
or
Mario Andrada, 305/523-4500
Email: mario.andrada@ico.com |
