ICO Global Communication’s ICO G1 satellite has completed In Orbit Testing (IOT) and testing of its Ground Based Beam Forming (GBBF) system. ICO Satellite Services has accepted the Space Segment from Space Systems/Loral. 
Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 14, 2008, ICO G1 is the world’s first satellite to utilize a two-way GBBF system. The satellite has 250 fully configurable transmit and receive beams. With GBBF, spot beams can be added, removed or reconfigured to enable a satellite to operate from different orbital locations and to adapt to changes in traffic patterns or to provide new applications. With beam forming performed on the ground, the cost and time to deliver a highly flexible satellite are significantly reduced. The satellite employs a large 12 meter mesh antenna reflector, which is essential for delivering services to small mobile and portable devices.
“We have begun using ICO G1 in conjunction with our terrestrial network and mobile devices in Las Vegas and Raleigh-Durham to test and refine our innovative MSS/ATC services, including ICO mim,” said David Zufall, senior vice president of network systems for ICO.
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