Satelindo appoints U.S. firm to launch satellite<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government confirmed yesterday that PT
\nSatelindo, a telecommunication firm, has appointed Martin
\nMarietta and General Dynamics of the United States to launch the
\nsecond of the country's new generation telecommunication
\nsatellites, called Palapa C-2.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, we have switched from Arianespace of France to U.S.
\ncompany to launch the C-2 satellite,\" Jonathan Parapak,
\nsecretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications, said at his office.<\/p>\n
\"We expect the launching to take place in January 1996,\" he
\nsaid, adding that the launching will use Atlas IIAS rocket.<\/p>\n
Parapak said that the switch was caused by Arianespace's
\nrecent failures in launching several satellites -- none of which
\nwere owned by Indonesia -- from their base in Kourou, French
\nGuiana.<\/p>\n
\"If we did not replace Arianespace, the earliest schedule for
\nthe launching would be in April 1996,\" Parapak said.<\/p>\n
Arianespace is originally scheduled to launch the Palapa C-1
\nsatellite, equipped with 48 transponders, next October but the
\nlaunching will have to be postponed until next April.<\/p>\n
The timing of the launching for the new satellite is vital
\nbecause the Palapa B-2P satellite is scheduled to end operation
\nin December.<\/p>\n
Satelindo<\/p>\n
Parapak, however, declined to comment further on the launching
\nmatter, saying that all questions should be addressed to
\nSatelindo, whose executives are scheduled to appear in a hearing
\nwith the House of Representatives today.<\/p>\n
Satelindo, set up in 1993 to provide various telecommunication
\nservices, is 45 percent owned by a subsidiary of the Bimantara
\nGroup, a conglomerate chaired by one of President Soeharto's
\nsons, 25 percent by DeteMobil, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom
\nof Germany, 22.5 percent by PT Telkom and 7.5 percent by PT
\nIndosat. Both Telkom and Indosat are state-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n
Satelindo is also reported to own 86 percent of Palapa C-1,
\nwhile the remainder is held by PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, a
\njoint venture company, which also involves the Bimantara Group,
\nthat acquired the Palapa B-1 satellite from Telkom in 1991.<\/p>\n
In 1993, Arianespace won the launching tender although General
\nDynamics put in a lower bid, reportedly with a difference of
\naround US$10 million.<\/p>\n
Available records cite that the American firm, after the
\nannouncement of the tender results, sought explanations from the
\nIndonesian government over its defeat at the hands of
\nArianespace.<\/p>\n
Satelindo executives justified their choice of Arianespace by
\nsaying that the French firm had a better success record in its
\nlaunching history than General Dynamics, a factor which
\nsupposedly reduced insurance costs.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Satelindo has managed to secure a group of
\nsubscribers for its C-1 satellite. They include former
\nsubscribers to the B-2P satellite, such as the Bimantara-
\ncontrolled television company, PT Matahari Lintas Cakrawala;
\nCanal France International; Viacom of the United States, and
\ntelevision broadcasters from Hong Kong and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Available data cite the C-1's leasing fee at a range of $1
\nmillion to $2 million per year for one transponder.<\/p>\n
The first two of the Palapa C satellites, each guaranteed to
\nbe functional for 12 years, are built for $128 million by Hughes
\nAircraft of the United States, the aeronautics company which has
\nbeen making all of Indonesia's satellites. (hdj)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/satelindo-appoints-us-firm-to-launch-satellite-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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