SS/L both completed construction on and delivered the satellite ahead of schedule. Amazonas 3 includes the first Ka-band payload for broadband service in Latin America, designed to provide a wide range of telecommunications services, including direct-to-home television (DTH), corporate fixed and mobile telephone networks and broadband to the Americas, Europe and North Africa from the orbital location of 61 degrees West longitude.

   The SS/L 1300-model satellite also has 33 Ku-band and 19 C-band transponders in addition to its 9 Ka-band spot beams.

   “With the early delivery of Amazonas 3, SS/L has helped bring Hispasat closer to its goal of providing the main communications bridge between the European and American continents,” Hispasat CEO Carlos Espinós said in a statement. “When launched, the satellite will bring great opportunity for innovation and growth in Latin America with its broadband payload.”