ASEAN members form joint venture to launch satellite<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three telecommunications companies from
\nIndonesia, Thailand and the Philippines last week formed a joint
\nventure company to launch a telecommunication satellite by August
\n1988.<\/p>\n
The managing director of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN),
\nAdi Rahman Adiwoso, said here over the weekend that his company,
\nJasmine Telecommunications of Thailand, a subsidiary of American
\nTelephone and Telegraph (AT&T), and the Philippines Long-Distance
\nTelephone, established the new venture with an initial paid-up
\ncapital of US$150 billion.<\/p>\n
"In a meeting in Bangkok this week, we agreed that each of us
\nwill pay $50 billion in equity," Adi said after opening PT
\nSatelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo)'s outlet at Golden Plaza,
\nSouth Jakarta, on Saturday. Adi is also Satelindo's commerce
\ndirector.<\/p>\n
Adi noted that the new company, to be called Asia Cellular
\nSatellite System (ACSS), will be incorporated in Indonesia, with
\na total investment of US$600 million. The company's operation is
\ncentered in Batam, Riau, while its headquarters will be in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
"The Batam authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications have given the green light and we have
\nprepared everything," Adi said.<\/p>\n
Preference<\/p>\n
Under the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's industrial
\njoint venture agreement, Adi said, any joint venture company
\nincorporated in one of the ASEAN countries with at least 51
\npercent of its shares held by companies in ASEAN countries is
\nentitled to preferential treatments in all ASEAN member
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore and Thailand. Vietnam will become an ASEAN member later
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
"We want this company to receive such a preferential facility
\nbecause all of its shareholders are companies in ASEAN
\ncountries," Adi noted.<\/p>\n
He said the state-owned international telecommunications firm
\nPT Indosat had expressed its intention to enter the new venture
\ncompany. Indosat is the first state-owned company floating its
\nshares on an overseas stock market.<\/p>\n
"We haven't discussed it yet in detail with Indosat. But
\nmaybe, the scenario is that Indosat will take 20 percent of PSN's
\nportion in ACSS," Adi said.<\/p>\n
PSN, together with Satelindo, will operate the Hughes-built
\nPalapa-C1, whose launching has been rescheduled from October or
\nNovember of this year to May of next year.<\/p>\n
Adi noted that ACSS is still in the process of negotiating
\nwith Lockheed Martin of the United States over the construction
\nof a telecommunications satellite.<\/p>\n
The satellite offered by Lockheed weighs 4,200 kilograms and
\nhas a total capacity of two to five million telephone circuits
\nand a coverage range from India and China to all Southeast Asian
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Adi said if the negotiations can be finished by June 15 at the
\nlatest, "by August 1998 we will be able to start our commercial
\noperation".<\/p>\n
"However, if we cannot reach an agreement by June 15 over the
\npricing and other terms with Lockheed, we will shift to another
\nsatellite manufacturer -- that is Hughes of the United States."
\n(rid)<\/p>",
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