ICO Global Communications Ltd. signed an agreement with International Launch Services (ILS) for up to five launches from 2009 through 2011, ICO announced May 24. As part of the deal, ILS will design and propose a dual launch capability for ICO’s planned constellation of 12 medium-Earth orbit satellites.

The deal was disclosed a day after the U.K. Office of Communications (Ofcom) informed ICO that it had to show progress toward the launch of its Mobile Satellite Services system by June 30 or face loss of its spectrum assignment.

ICO has not placed a satellite in orbit since the 2001 launch of ICO-P F2.