Galaxy Latin America (GLA), the company which provides DIRECTV(TM) to Latin America and the Caribbean, announced today that a new satellite will be launched next week to expand the service in the region. The new satellite, Galaxy VIII-i, is the second satellite launched to provide DIRECTV to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The launch is scheduled for December 8th from Cape Canaveral Air Station
in Florida. It is expected that over 1,000 guests from Latin America, the
United States, Europe and the Caribbean will attend the launch and the
celebrations.
The new satellite will be collocated in space with Galaxy(R) III-R, the
first satellite to broadcast the DIRECTV service to Latin America. By having both satellites in the same orbital position, DIRECTV will have the capacity to broadcast more than 300 channels to the region.
Galaxy VIII-i will provide DIRECTV with 32 transponders to broadcast to
Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. These transponders are designed to function with those of Galaxy III-R. In addition, Galaxy VIII-i’s footprint will cover the areas in the United States most heavily populated by Hispanics.
The new satellite has 32 transponders in Ku-band with 118 watts, almost
twice the power of Galaxy III-R. The 32 transponders will reach all of Latin America and the Caribbean, with 16 transponders covering Brazil and the Southern Cone, offering programming mainly in Portuguese. The others will broadcast to the rest of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Southern Cone with programming mainly in Spanish. The new HS 601 HP body-stabilized
satellite was built by Hughes Space and Communications and will be operated by PanAmSat Corporation.
“This launch signifies another accomplishment for Galaxy Latin America and
its partners, as it strengthens our pioneering and leading role in the direct-to-home satellite television industry in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Jose Antonio Rios, president and CEO of Galaxy Latin America(TM). “The increased capacity will offer our subscribers even more programming options, as well as new products representing the latest technological advances in the field of telecommunications.”
The DIRECTV service is currently available in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela,
Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama. During 1998, GLA expects to offer DIRECTV to the remaining countries of Latin America.
