The telecom satellite Vinasat-2 of the
Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) will start leasing its capacity
in the third quarter of 2012, following its successful launch on Wednesday
morning.
Ho Cong
Lam, deputy director of Vietnam Telecom International Co. (VTI), a VNPT
subsidiary in charge of operating the satellite, said VNPT had kicked off a
marking campaign for Vinasat-2 a year ago.
Lam
said the satellite had attracted both local and foreign clients, including the
current customers of Vinasat-1 and the new ones. Still, he declined to reveal
the specific names.
Although
VNPT also targets clients in the regional countries, the State-run group pays
more attention to the domestic market.
VNPT
deputy general director Phan Hoang Duc said it will take ten years to recover
the investment capital in Vinasat-2, which has a life span of 15 years like the
first telecom satellite. The total satellite capacity rents of Vietnamese
customers are estimated at US$10-15 million a year.
Lam
said after four years of operation, Vinasat-1 is now running at 90% capacity.
It is expected that Vinasat-1 will bring in VND250 billion this year, excluding
a 30% capacity used for VNPT’s own services.
Duc
unveiled VNPT’s plan to invest in the third satellite in the next 3-4 years.
Regarding
the launch on Wednesday, sources from VNPT said the first signal from the
satellite had been transmitted back to earth on Wednesday.
Bui
Quoc Viet, director of the Information Center under VNPT, told local media that
the satellite would be orbiting around the earth for the next ten days before
it achieves stable operation. The contractor Lockheed Martin would hand over
the satellite control to VNPT in early July.
VNPT
has invested US$280 million in Vinasat-2. The satellite applies A2100A frame
technology, one of the most advanced satellite technologies at present.
Similar
to Vinasat-1, Vinasat-2 is produced by the U.S. aerospace firm Lockheed Martin
and was launched on an Arian 5 rocket made by Arianespace at Kouru space launch
site in Guyana, South America. The two satellites provide coverage over
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore and a part of Malaysia.
Because
the two satellites are in close orbits with each other, customers can use the
same satellite dish to receive signals from both of them.
Vinasat-2
is designed with 30 Ku-band transponders (36MHz bandwidth), with a transmission
capacity equivalent to 13,000 voice channels or some 150 TV channels.
Vinasat-2,
together with Vinasat-1, will form a system of satellites capable of enhancing
safety and stability when providing satellite services to customers. In
addition, the two telecom satellites will help strengthen the national network
security and offer general benefits to the community.
Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, after watching the launch at VNPT headquarters on
Wednesday, said the launch of Vinasat-2 is an important step further on the
route to make Vietnam a strong country in information technology and
telecommunications.
The
Vinasat-1 and Vinasat-2 projects have great political and socio-economic
meanings, affirming the sovereignty of Vietnam in space and promoting the image
of the country in the international arena, said the Prime Minister.
Vu Tuan
Hung, general director of VNPT, said the launch of Vinasat-2 is aimed at the
national strategic target to enhance the capacity of telecommunication
infrastructure, satisfy the demand for satellite capacity rental and
efficiently exploit the satellite frequency and orbit resources that Vietnam
has registered at 131.8 degrees east.
Vinasat-2
is also designed to serve the sea economic development strategy of Vietnam,
says a report on the Government web portal www.chinhphu.vn.
SGT
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