[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] Intelsat reported record revenues of $2.5 billion in 2009 but recorded a loss of 781.7 million, the satellite operator announced March 9. The loss included non-cash charges of $499.1 million incurred in the first quarter for orbital location impairments.
   Revenue growth of 6 percent over 2008 was driven by continued strength in Intelsat’s network services business, which grew 7 percent to $1.2 billion, and the government business, which grew 21 percent to $424.4 million. Intelsat’s recorded an average fill rate of 83 percent of its approximately 2,025 station-kept transponders.
   “Our growth was fueled by the diverse capabilities of our global network, which provides critical infrastructure for network services, media and government customers," Intelsat CEO David McGlade said in a statement. "In 2009, we signed a number of significant customer agreements that reflect our strategic goals of expanding direct-to-home neighborhoods for regional service providers, being the commercial satellite services supplier of choice for military operations and providing bandwidth for telecom and data service providers.”
   Intelsat’s backlog stood at $9.4 billion at the end of 2009, compared to $8.8 billion at the end of 2008.