Telkom satellite launch delayed again<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
State telecommunications firm PT Telkom has had to postpone the
\nlaunch of its new satellite, Telkom-2, for another two months to
\nmid-June, company officials say.<\/p>\n
Telkom president director Kristiono said on Tuesday that since
\nthe launch would use a dual-passenger spacecraft, it had to wait
\nfor another satellite, the Syracuse IIA from the French Defense
\nMinistry, to be completed.<\/p>\n
\"Our satellite is ready, but our co-passenger is not,\"
\nKristiono told reporters.<\/p>\n
The launch has been postponed more than four times, according
\nto the firm's communications coordinator Mundarwiyarso.<\/p>\n
The new satellite, with 24 transponders and an in-orbit life
\nof 15 years, is meant to boost the firm's network quality as well
\nas to capitalize on increasing use of satellites in Asia.<\/p>\n
Telkom-2, which will cost about $123 million in construction
\nand launching expenses, was last scheduled to blast off from
\nKourou in French Guyana, South America, on an Ariane 5 spacecraft
\nthis month to replace the Palapa B4 satellite.<\/p>\n
The Palapa B4 was supposed to be replaced three years ago.
\nHowever, Telkom took steps to increase its lifespan.<\/p>\n
\"(The loss) is nothing compared to the billions of rupiah in
\nincome we receive each month (from leasing out the satellite),\"
\nsaid Kristiono.<\/p>\n
Besides running Palapa B4 with 24 transponders, Telkom also
\noperates Telkom-1, which was launched in 1999 and has 36
\ntransponders and a useful life of 15 years.<\/p>\n
The company, which is currently the second biggest satellite
\nprovider in Southeast Asia, occupies 46 transponders on both
\nsatellites. The other transponders are leased to 12 operators of
\nvery small aperture terminals (VSAT), nine national television
\nstations, three local television stations, and foreign
\nleaseholders such as Reuters and NHK.<\/p>\n
The price for one transponder is about $1.1 million a year.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/telkom-satellite-launch-delayed-again-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }