SES completes $3.1B Intelsat purchase

Luxembourg-based SES announced Thursday that it has completed its $3.1 billion acquisition of McLean-based satellite services provider Intelsat.

Intelsat previously stated that its CEO, David Wajsgras, would stay on at until the close of the transaction, but would not remain with the combined company. The combined SES is headquartered in Luxembourg, although the company will still have a “significant presence” in the U.S, with its North American main office located in McLean.

SES says the acquisition creates a “strengthened global satellite operator” with an expanded fleet of 120 satellites across two orbits. The company now has a network of approximately 90 geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites and nearly 30 medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites.

The combined company says the expanded fleet and access to low earth orbit satellites and an extensive ground network will allow it to deliver higher quality services and tailored solutions to its customers, representing sectors such as government, aviation, maritime and media.

“Today, we’re not just merging two companies — we’re creating a stronger company, built for the future,” SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said in a statement. “I want to extend a warm welcome to all new employees, customers and partners. In this new chapter, we are bringing together a powerful mix of talented people, network infrastructure, spectrum, innovation and global relationships that will allow us to deliver next-generation connectivity and space-enabled services in smarter and quicker ways.”

The combined company is expected to generate €3.7 billion in revenue, the equivalent of $4.29 billion in U.S. dollars.

SES is publicly listed on the Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges.