INTELSAT

Definition:

Intelsat, S.A. is a leading provider of communication satellite services. Intelsat was originally formed as the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT). From 1964 to 2001 it was an intergovernmental conglomerate that owned and managed a group of communication satellites that provided international broadcast services. Intelsat currently operates a fleet of 52 communication satellites - one of the largest fleet maintained by any organization as of March 2011. 

Description:

The IGO, or intergovernmental organization, began with a group of 11 participant countries on 20 August 1964. Intelsat’s first major satellite, namely the INTELSAT I, was placed in the geostationary orbit by a Delta D rocket. The geostationary orbit was above the Atlantic Ocean. 

The name of the IGO was changed in the year 1973 and thereafter it had 80 signatories. The organisation provides communications services to around 150 countries and over 600 Earth stations. The intergovernmental organisation had around 100 members by 2001. In the same year, INTELSAT was privatized and its name was changed to Intelsat. 

The number of Intelsat satellites and ocean-spanning fiber-optic lines allow fast and immediate re-routing of traffic in case one of the satellites fails. New satellites made with modern technology are more robust and last longer since they have larger capacity. 

Intelsat Americas-7 (earlier known as Telstar 7 and currently known as Galaxy 27) was the first satellite to experience a power failure on 29 November 2004, which lasted for several days. The satellite finally resumed service with a larger capacity. 

The corporate headquarters of Intelsat is located in Luxembourg and contains majority of the staff and satellite functions. The administrative headquarters in Washington, DC with other Intelsat corporation offices are also located there. 

Intelsat announced in 2012 that by mid-2014, they would shift their US headquarters from Washington to nearby Tysons Corner, Virginia. Since Intelsat is majorly an international business, it sources a major chunk of its revenue from non-U.S. located customers. Teleport Fuchsstadt in Germany is Intelsat's biggest teleport as of now. 

Intelsat’s spacecraft operations are controlled through ground stations that are located in Hagerstown, Maryland (USA), Riverside, California (USA), and Fuchsstadt, Germany.