Paradigm Services, part of Astrium Services’ Telecoms division, has entered into a 15-year contract with Telesat, the world’s fourth largest fixed satellite services operator, for the full X-band payload on Telesat’s Anik G1 satellite.

Demand for X-band services from civil and military agencies around the world is growing as governments continue to increase their use of commercial satellites. Anik G1 will be the first commercial satellite with substantial X-band coverage of the Pacific reaching out to Hawaii. The characteristics of the X-band frequency make it the ideal choice for naval platforms, allowing high data throughput with lower rain-fade margins compared to Ku- or Ka-band.

Anik G1, scheduled for launch in the second half of 2012, will operate from 107.3° West and will utilize a three-channel, global beam, X-band payload covering Canada, the Americas and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, Anik G1 will include 16 transponders in extended Ku-band over Canada, and 24 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders over South America.

Astrium through Paradigm Services currently provides state-of-the-art seamless milsatcom services to the UK Ministry of Defence, the US Department of Defense, the Canadian Department of National Defence and many other international armed forces and Government Agencies, combining its own satellites with capacity leases to meet all milsatcom requirements.

Eric Beranger, CEO of Astrium Services, said, “Our decision to commit to the full X-band payload on Anik G1, and the resulting long-term partnership with Telesat, shows once again our innovative approach to new market opportunities that has been crucial to our continued success.”

He continued, “For the first time, the Canadian Department of National Defence and US Department of Defense users will be able to procure Pacific and Atlantic X-band capacity from the same source through our One-Stop-Shop approach.”