Loral Skynet contracted its sister company, Space Systems Loral, in January 2006 for a replacement satellite for its aging Telstar 11 satellite covering Europe and North America.

The multi-region Ku-band communications replacement satellite is called Telstar 11N. The original Telstar 11 was launched in 1995 and provides Ku-Band coverage across most of North America (except the West Coast) and Europe. The new replacement satellite covers Europe and Africa. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

When it enters service in the second quarter of 2008, Telstar 11N will provide service from 39 high-power Ku-band transponders spread across four different geographic beams in each of North and Central America, Europe, Africa, and the maritime Atlantic Ocean Region. At 37.5 degrees West longitude, Telstar 11N will complement the coverage of Skynet's Telstar 12 satellite at 15 degrees West longitude, which provides Ku-band trans-Atlantic coverage to an array of commercial and governmental users.