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SES AMERICOM maintains the satellite services industry's highest transponder availability rate. In fact, Americom recorded higher than Six Sigma (99.99966) availability in 1998. We have the largest North American satellite fleet. Between September 1996 and November 1997 we launched AMC-1, AMC-2, NahuelSAt, AMC-3 and Sirius 2. SES AMERICOM has pioneered technology "firsts"The 3-axis stabilized spacecraft, allows more precise control of the satellite's position in the orbital arc. Americom maintains high-power travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTA) on domestic communications satellites. The hybrid C- and Ku-band satellites. We offer complete service protection through the use of in-orbit spares, pre-emptible transponders, and redundant components. SES AMERICOM has introduced important service "firsts"With Home Box Office we developed the first satellite-delivered channel to cable systems. Prior to our innovations, home cable TV subscribers were receiving their signals from ground-based antennas that HBO had mounted. Our work helped create the distribution superhighway that now also carries entertainment and sports services such as The Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, MTV and the Madison Square Garden network; and news and information services, including the ABC, CBS, CNN, PBS, PaxNet and NBC networks. In 1997 we launched AMC-2 and AMC-3 to add more capacity to this highly successful satellite distribution service. SES AMERICOM partnered with Primestar to create the first U.S. direct to home (DTH) home satellite service. Our equity interest in this service underscores our commitment to exploring new applications for DTH satellite technology. In 1997 we launched AMC-2, a replacement satellite with added power and channels. The hybrid satellite has 24 Ku-band transponders dedicated to Primestar. NBC chose us as their supplier to make them the first satellite-delivered commercial network. We invested in the high-powered satellite that NBC needed to increase its signal quality and reliability. In the process, we helped the network to lower transmission costs to their several hundred affiliates. SES AMERICOM was the first satellite operator to offer Satellite News Gathering customers combined telephone and video service. This service allows remote news gatherers to maintain a voice link with their home base while transmitting video data from their trucks. This means that reporters and videographers are never out of touch, whether they're in remote areas without cellular service, or in places where normal communications have been disrupted by natural disasters.