CAPITAL TIMES - MARCH 1999

The successful launch of GE-5
into orbit on October 28,
from Kourou, French Guiana.

GE-5, a new satellite from GE Americom, was successfully launched into orbit on October 28, from Kourou, French Guiana.

The spectacular night launch of GE-5 marked the 16^th consecutive success for the GE Americom launch program, which dates back to 1979.

The satellite will be located at 79° West Longitude, 22,5000 miles above earth. It will provide coverage to the continental U.S. and Southern Canada. GE-5 will serve:

Satellite News Gathering: The mobile trucks that are onsite at major news stories and sports events to provide live coverage, increasing user flexibility in covering breaking news events
Very Small Aperture Terminals: These terminals point to many networks, commonly used for providing data communications between a hub and several locations, such as a banking institution’s card machine system.
Business television
Broadband Internet market segments

CBS Newspath has already signed-on for service along with Gilat, the Israeli-based company that recently acquired Spacenet. Americom retains a 30 percent interest in Gilat.

In New York City, over 90 customers and guests enjoyed the launch. Video of the launch was available to customers worldwide via satellite and the Internet. Employees at Americom’s Princeton headquarters shared the launch with family members while they watched a live view of the launch and mission control activities.

Americom is a leading global provider of satellite communications services to commercial and government customers, including the broadcast and cable TV industries, broadcast radio, and users of business information and communications network services.