AMC-11 was ordered by GE Americom as GE-11 and built by Lockheed Martin based on their A2100A satellite bus. In 2001 GE Americom was acquired by SES from Luxembourg, making SES the world’s biggest satellite service provider. After the acquisition GE Americom was renamed SES Americom and later SES World Skies, and resulted also in renaming the satellite assets, GE-11 became AMC-11.

At launch it had a mass of 2,340 kilograms (5,160lb), with an expected operational lifespan of around fifteen years. Lockheed Martin contracted the launch of the AMC-11 satellite to launch operator ILS, using the Atlas II rocket.

In 2001 General Electric’s GE Americom Communications was acquired by SES from Luxembourg, making SES the world’s biggest satellite service provider. After the acquisition GE Americom was renamed SES Americom and later SES World Skies, and resulted also in renaming the satellite assets, GE-11 became AMC-11.

AMC-11 was launched on May 19^th, 2004, on an Atlas IIAS rocket operated by Lockheed Martin (ULA) from the Space Launch Complex 36B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA.

In late May and early June 2010, the Galaxy 15 satellite, which had failed with its transponders still broadcasting, passed close to AMC-11. Since Galaxy 15 broadcast on similar frequencies to AMC-11, interference from its transponders could have affected signals originating from AMC-11. As a result, AMC-11 was manoeuvered out of the way of Galaxy 15, and the SES-1 satellite was brought in to provide backup in case AMC-11 could not continue broadcasting. Galaxy 15 passed within 0.2 degrees of AMC-11, however no service interruptions occurred.

In 2025 satellite operator Telesat from Canada purchased AMC-11 to replace their failing Anik F2 satellite.