The Hague, The Netherlands, July 29, 2002 – New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, today announced that its NSS-7 satellite, which was recently licensed to provide services in Brazil, is already broadcasting live coverage of the nation’s 2002 presidential race to remote sites throughout the state of São Paulo.
LinkSat, one of Brazil’s leading systems integrators and teleport operators, selected NSS-7 to transmit live interviews with the main presidential candidates to more than 30 different locations during four separate events. LinkSat is the first company in Brazil to take advantage of that portion of the satellite’s ultra-high power capacity designed specifically for Brazil and the Mercosur region.
Fernando Gonsalves, director of engineering for LinkSat Brasil, said, “We needed to coordinate the installation of receive equiment at more than 30 locations just days before the first interview. New Skies was extremely flexible in assisting us during this process, working with us to test our installations and ensure flawless reception during what turned out to be a very successful first event. We look forward to future projects and more successful collaborations with New Skies.”
“The fact that we have been chosen by LinkSat to provide services for such an important event so soon after NSS-7 started operations is a testament to the satellite’s exceptional power and coverage of the country as well as New Skies’ agility in responding to these types of demands,” said Dolores Martos, New Skies’ vice president of sales for Latin America. “We have an excellent relationship with LinkSat and we will continue to focus on meeting their needs with the efficiency and responsiveness for which New Skies is known.”
The transmissions are for Brazil’s Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (FIESP), an organization within the state of São Paulo charged with promoting local industry. FIESP members at more than 30 local branches will be able to view the interviews in which the presidential candidates will address relevant issues. The first event took place on July 15, 2002 and featured a live interview with Anthony Garotinho. The second event, an interview with Ciro Gomes, occurred on July 23, and an interview with candidate Luís Inácio Lula de Silva is slated for July 30. The service will wrap up with the fourth and final interview with José Serra at a time yet to be determined.
NSS-7, which was launched from French Guiana on April 16, 2002, entered commercial service on May 30. Under the satellite’s Brazilian authorization, New Skies is able to offer a full range of services throughout the country in both C- and Ku-band. The satellite features 36 transponders in each frequency and eleven high-powered coverage beams capable of broadcasting video, Internet and data traffic throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
About New Skies Satellites
New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and Internet service providers around the world. New Skies has six satellites in geosynchronous orbit and ground facilities around the world. The company also has two spacecraft under construction, which are planned to serve the Americas and Asia from two new orbital locations. In line with its growth strategy, the company has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions, including four serving the Americas. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in London, Johannesburg, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.
