Customer Feature: Ciel Satellite Group (Cont.)

David Lewis, president and chief executive officer, has an extensive background in the Canadian satellite industry, with over 28 years of experience in various capacities from sales and marketing to technical operations. He helped found Ciel in 2004 by joining the company as president and chief operating officer. Most recently, in 2006, Lewis accepted an appointment as President and CEO, as well as joining the Board of Directors.

Earlier this year in an interview with Decima Reports, Lewis talked about the challenges of securing orbital resources and pushing for the creation of a competitive market in Canada. With the exception of limited coverage by American satellites, prior to Ciel’s inception two years ago, the market was led by a single company. Lewis hopes that the decision by Industry Canada (the Canadian government department responsible for regulation of economic development) to license Ciel will provide the country with much-needed competition.

With the recent award for seven out of nine separate applications for orbital positions filed on Nov. 15, 2006, Lewis looks forward to the potential opportunities that the new spectrum will bring. "We have a vision of what our industry can achieve by serving diverse user markets... from the profit-oriented to the community-oriented; and if we are fortunate to earn the proposed licenses from Industry Canada, we will be relentless in our pursuit of those goals."

International Launch Services recently announced a contract with Ciel Satellite Group. The contract, for a late 2008 launch on Proton Breeze M, was made through contracting agent SES AMERICOM. ILS is excited to support the expansion of services that the launch of Ciel-2 represents.

The inaugural launch of Ciel-2 is a Spacebus 4000 C4 model satellite, the largest Spacebus class satellite built by Thales Alenia Space, with a mass of 5,575 kg. From its assigned orbital position of 129 degrees West longitude, the high-powered Ku-band spacecraft will deliver a variety of communications services throughout Canada and the larger North American market.
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