ICO Global Communications

ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited (NASDAQ: ICOG) is a mobile satellite services company based in Reston, Virginia.

The company is seeking to build a hybrid satellite and terrestrial network to broadcast wireless voice, data, and/or Internet services (including video) to mobile and portable devices.

In April 2008 it launched the geosynchronous satellite, ICO G1, which at 6,634 kilograms (14,625 lb) was claimed to be the largest commercial satellite ever launched at the time.^[1]

The U.S. subsidiary ICO North America was renamed DBSD North America shortly before entering prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2009 to rearrange financing on $750 million in notes that were due in August 2009.^[2] The company in May 2009 said the North America operation was still a development stage enterprise and was not making any money.^[3] Also in May 2009 the European Commission refused to license ICO's European subsidiary ICO Satellite to use the S Band. ICO is challenging the ruling.^[4] On Jan. 31, 2011, Dish Network announced they plan to acquire DBSD North America for $1 Billion US, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission.^[5]

Corporate history

Founded in January 1995, ICO Global Communications, planned to build an MSS constellation in medium earth orbit (in two 45°-inclined orthogonal planes), and had contracted Boeing Satellite Systems (then Hughes) for 12 spacecraft in July of that year — ten operational spacecraft and two in-orbit spares. ICO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 1999, but emerged (as New ICO) in May 2000 following investments by Craig McCaw and others. ICO has pursued plans to build and launch a geosynchronous satellite to cover North America, supplemented by an ancillary terrestrial component. ICO G1 launched on April 14, 2008, and ICO's application for an ancillary terrestrial component was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in January 2009.

Early satellites

The first spacecraft, a Hughes HS 601 designated ICO F-1, was lost due to a Sea Launch anomaly on March 12, 2000.^[6] In September 2000, ICO contracted Hughes for three additional spacecraft, and Hughes agreed to modify the 11 remaining spacecraft from the original contract to support an ICO re-design of the system. Hughes Space Systems subsequently became a subsidiary of the Boeing Corporation. On June 19, 2001, the second spacecraft was successfully launched by an Atlas II AS from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The remaining spacecraft are in storage in various stages of near completion, and litigation between ICO and Boeing involving the ICO MEO satellites went to trial in June, 2008. In October, 2008, a jury awarded ICO $371 million in damages and $236 million in punitive damages in verdicts which found Boeing guilty of fraud, tortious interference and breach of contract. The Los Angeles Superior Court finalized the verdict in March, 2009 in an amount totalling $603 million.^{[citation needed]}

G1 satellite

The ICO G1 satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral, based on the Loral 1300 platform.^[7] A contract to launch the satellite was signed with Lockheed Martin, who announced plans to launch the satellite on an Atlas V launch vehicle, flying in the 421 configuration.^[8] Launch, from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station occurred at 20:12:00 GMT on April 4, 2008. The satellite separated from the carrier rocket 30 minutes and 49 seconds later, completing a successful launch. It is currently in a nominal geosynchronous orbit. At the time, ICO G1 was the largest commercial satellite ever launched.^[9] A larger satellite based on the same Loral 1300 platform, TerreStar-1, was successfully launched on July 1, 2009.

G1

The G1 satellite is intended to support a wide range of mobile voice, video and data services, and covers the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Alpha trials of this service will begin in 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

See also

• O3b
• OnStar
• Satellite phone
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• Solaris Mobile
• SkyTerra
• Teledesic
• TerreStar
• XM Satellite Radio

References

1. ^ ICO Launches New Era in Mobile Satellite Services - ico.com - April 14, 2008
2. ^ DBSD North America Inc. Files Pre-Negotiated Plan to Restructure Outstanding Debt - moneycentral.msn.com - May 15, 2009
3. ^ ICO North America, Inc., Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2009 - sharholder.com
4. ^ 'ICO reacts to EC MSS decision' - tradingmarkets.com - May 18, 2009
5. ^ - Multichannel News - Feb. 1, 2011
6. ^ "Sea Launch ICO Statement page". Boeing. http://www.boeing.com/special/sea-launch/ico_stmt.htm. 
7. ^ "GEO Satellite". ICO. http://www.ico.com/_about/tech/geo.php. 
8. ^ "ICO Satellite Launch Set for March 2008". ICO. http://investor.ico.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=275046. 
9. ^ ICO Launches New Era in Mobile Satellite Services - ico.com - April 14, 2008

External links

• Official ICO website
• NSSDC SPACEWARN Bulletin - ICO G1 - 2008-016A
• NSSDC Master Catalog - ICO G1 - 2008-016A
• Lloyd's satellite constellations - Overview - ICO
• AT&T CruiseCast
• One of the Satelite Access Node (SAN) at Banyuurip, Indosat Facilities-Indonesia