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1971 RCA buys the Alaskan Communications System (later renamed RCA Alascom) from the federal government. Need to modernize the system drives RCA to satellite based services. RCA files with the FCC to construct and launch a four satellite system at a cost of $256 million to serve Alaska, Hawaii and the Continental United States.
1975 The FCC orders RCA to establish a separate corporate entity to operate its domestic satellite fleet. RCA AMERICOM is born. Launch of AMERICOM’s first satellite, Satcom F1, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
1976 HBO inaugurates cable programming distributed in the U.S. via satellite by AMERICOM.
1979 RCA AMERICOM suffers first commercial launch failure in the industry with the loss of Satcom F3. AMERICOM establishes its reputation for customer service obtaining outside capacity at a loss to bridge affected customers.
1981 RCA AMERICOM auctions seven leases on Satcom F3R at Sotheby’s for $90 million. The transaction, later voided by the FCC, is still used today as a business school case study.
1982 AMERICOM establishes premiere radio neighborhood at 139° West and introduces DATS industry standard.
1985 RCA AMERICOM launches its first Ku-band satellite, Satcom K2, onboard the space shuttle.
1986 AMERICOM becomes a part of GE with acquisition of RCA.
1990 GE AMERICOM Government Services receives from NASA the Goddard Award for Excellence, Quality and Productivity Improvement.
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1991 GE AMERICOM sells Satcom K3 to SES. Renamed Astra 1B, it becomes
SES’ second satellite at 19.2°E. GE AMERICOM leads the formation of Primestar Partners, the first direct broadcast satellite system in the United States
1992 Satcom C3 and Satcom C4 launched with dedicated C-band payloads for cable programmers.
1994 GE AMERICOM expands its fleet through the acquisition of GTE Spacenet.
1995 GE AMERICOM establishes its relationship with Gibraltar and files
for 11 international orbital slots.
1996 GE AMERICOM invests in Nahuelsat, S.A. expanding into Latin America with Ku-band services for teleports, entertainment and private network customers. Launch of first A2100, hybrid (C- and Ku-band) satellite, GE-1, co-developed with Lockheed Martin.
1998 GE AMERICOM introduces high-powered, Ku-band services throughout Europe in partnership with NSAB, now an SES GLOBAL affiliate.
2000 GE AMERICOM adds four satellites to its fleet, acquires Atlantic and Pacific transoceanic capacity to complete global connections, and begins to deliver services in Asia.
2001 SES ASTRA acquires AMERICOM from GE. SES GLOBAL formed to become world’s largest commercial satellite operator.
2002 SES AMERICOM announces a major initiative to serve the direct broadcast industry, AMERICOM2Home®.
2003 SES AMERICOM enters into its first service agreement with EchoStar to provide capacity on AMC-2 and future AMC-15.
2004 SES AMERICOM launches HD-PRIMETM, America's Cable Neighborhood, replacing Satcom C3/C4 with AMC-11 and AMC-10 -- two new, state-of-the-art satellites and continuing a tradition of cable programming distribution dating back to 1975. Launches its first two Ka-band satellites, AMC-15 & 16. Verestar acquired and integrated into Media, Enterprise and Government businesses, greatly expanding teleport facilities in the process.
2005 SES AMERICOM launches AMC-12, the Atlantic Ocean Region's most powerful C-band satellite ever -- completing an unprecedented series of campaigns that saw five launches in a 12 month period.
2006 Major trials and development of IP-PRIME, an innovative turnkey IPTV solution that leverages both cutting-edge distribution and encoding technologies and long-standing relationships with the world's leading programmers.
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