Lockheed Martin, ACeS sign $1b satellite deal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): PT Asia Cellular Satellite System (ACeS), a
\nJakarta-based telecommunications firm, signed yesterday a
\ncontract with a U.S. defense contractor, Lockheed Martin
\nCorporation, to manufacture a region-wide cellular mobile
\nsatellite telecommunications system.<\/p>\n
The contract, worth US$1 billion, was signed by ACeS's chief
\nexecutive officer, Adi Rahman Adiwoso, and Lockheed's president
\nfor space and missile sector, Vance Coffman.<\/p>\n
ACeS, was established in February by three telecommunications
\nfirms -- PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of Indonesia, Philippines
\nLong Distance Telephone Co. of the Philippines and Jasmine
\nInternational Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand-- as an attempt to
\nprovide an Asian solution to a rapidly growing need for
\ntelecommunications infrastructure.<\/p>\n
ACeS will operate in telecommunications which will use four
\ngeo-stationary satellites to be called Garuda.<\/p>\n
The project, covering the most important region in Asia, will
\nallow any person with a handheld device to directly communicate
\nwith another person carrying a similar device within the
\nsatellite coverage and, through ground station gateways and
\nnormal public switch telephone networks, to any person with a
\ncellular or normal fixed telephone anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
The satellite's coverage will encompass India, Bangladesh,
\nMyanmar, China Korea, Southern Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
\nIndochina and the ASEAN countries.<\/p>\n
\"The launching of the satellites is expected to commence in
\nearly 1998, while commercial operation will likely start by mid-
\n1998,\" Adi told reporters after the signing ceremony, which was
\nalso attended by Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications
\nJoop Ave, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie
\nand U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert L. Barry.<\/p>\n
\"The satellites will be launched either by Proton of Russia or
\nAriane of France. We will be still studying this,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that ACeS put up only $150 million as an equity in the
\nproject, while the rest is financed with loans arranged by PT
\nSwadinamika Multi Finance, a Jakarta-based finance company.<\/p>\n
The contract with Lockheed Martin which is based on a turn-key
\nproject also includes a network control center to monitor and
\ncontrol telecommunications traffic, a satellite control center to
\ntrack the satellite orbital path and three gateways linking the
\nsystem with three public switch telephone networks.<\/p>\n
One gateway will be located in Indonesia and managed by
\nPasifik Satelit Nusantara which is the national service provider
\nwithin Indonesia. Another gateway will be located in Thailand and
\nthe third one in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PT Satelindo, the operator of satellites of the
\nPalapa-C generation, announced yesterday the launching of Palapa-
\nC1 in January 1996.<\/p>\n
Satelindo's president, Iwa Sewaka, said his company and
\nPasifik Satelit Nusantara signed a contract agreement with Martin
\nMarietta Commercial Launch Services of the United States on May
\n12 for the launching of the Palapa-C1 satellite with the Atlas
\nIIAS rocket.<\/p>\n
Iwa said the launch will be conducted during the period
\nbetween Jan. 3 and Jan. 31, 1996.<\/p>\n
The contract is worth $92 million, including levies imposed by
\nthe U.S. government, he said.<\/p>\n
Palapa-C1 was originally set to be launched by the France-
\nbased Arianespace. Due to a double-failure at Arianespace, the
\ncompany has rescheduled Palapa-C1's launching from October-
\nNovember this year to May 1996. As Palapa-C1 will now be launched
\nby Martin Marietta, Satelindo has arranged for Arianespace to
\nlaunch Palapa-C2 in May, 1996. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lockheed-martin-aces-sign-1b-satellite-deal-1447893297",
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