S

Satmex

PR · Mexico City, Mexico · Founded 1997

Satélites Mexicanos (Satmex) was a significant player in the satellite communications industry, providing services across the Americas before its acquisition. The company's origins trace back to the privatization of Mexico's governmental agency, Telecomm's, Fixed Satellite Services section. This process began in 1995 and culminated in the formation of Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. (Satmex) in June 1997. Following a public tenure, an alliance formed by Principia and Loral Space & Communications acquired a 75% stake in the company, with the Mexican government retaining the remaining 25% with non-voting rights. This transition attracted a substantial investment of $645 million into Mexico. Operating from its headquarters in Mexico City, Satmex managed a fleet of geostationary satellites from control centers in Iztapalapa and Hermosillo. These satellites provided crucial C-band and Ku-band capacity to a diverse client base that included public telephone companies, private network firms, and television broadcasters. The company's services were instrumental for distributing network information, internet access, and television programming, including direct-to-home (DTH) services, covering approximately 90% of the population of the Americas. Satmex established a strong market position, particularly in corporate data networks and cellular backhaul, holding an 11% market share in Latin America and demonstrating high customer loyalty. Throughout its history, Satmex launched and operated several key satellites, including Satmex 5, Satmex 6, and Satmex 8, which formed the core of its fleet at the time of its acquisition. The company had also made strategic investments for future growth, contracting with Boeing for the manufacture and SpaceX for the launch of new satellites like Satmex 7 and Satmex 9, which were intended to more than double its in-orbit capacity. In July 2013, the French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications announced its agreement to acquire 100% of Satmex for an enterprise value of $1.142 billion, which included $831 million for the share capital and the assumption of $311 million in net debt. The transaction was officially completed in January 2014, after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals. Following the acquisition, Satmex was rebranded as Eutelsat Americas in March 2014, and its satellites were integrated into the Eutelsat global fleet. Keywords: Satélites Mexicanos, Satmex, Eutelsat Americas, satellite communications, C-band, Ku-band, satellite operator, Latin America, Mexico, telecommunications, satellite fleet, geostationary orbit, direct-to-home, DTH, data networks, cellular backhaul, Loral Space & Communications, Eutelsat acquisition, Satmex 5, Satmex 6, Satmex 8, satellite services, satellite capacity, telecommunications infrastructure