Itar-Tass reported Feb. 15 that the Express-AM 2 satellite is being prepared for transportation to the Baikonur cosmodrome for its scheduled late March launch. The satellite was to have been shipped by the end of 2004, but a spokesperson for the Reshetnev association, which manufactured the satellite, was quoted as saying the satellite did not ship as originally scheduled because the Proton rocket that is being used to launch the satellite was not ready. The satellite will provide telephony and video conferencing services, as well as Internet access.