Alcatel clinches $115m project
Alcatel clinches $115m project
JAKARTA (JP): French telecommunications giant Alcatel has won
a US$115 million contract from Multi Media Asia Indonesia (MMAI)
to develop the ground segment of Multi Media Asia (M2A), a
multimedia satellite network.
Under the agreement, Alcatel will design and deliver one
network control system, a national gateway, three regional
gateway stations, six local minigateways and 1,000 preproduction
subscribers' terminals before the end of 1999.
On Saturday, MMAI's Chief Executive Officer Adi R. Adiwoso
said that the selection of Alcatel for the ground segment of M2A
was an important step in the ultimate rollout of the network.
"A key success factor of M2A is our ability to provide this
integrated package of services at an affordable cost to the Asian
people. Alcatel is uniquely capable of meeting our ambitious cost
targets while also delivering products incorporating the latest
technologies," he said.
The M2A satellite is a new generation spacecraft which will
deliver high debit data transfer. It will be the first satellite-
based system to provide major telecommunications services as an
adjunct to the public-switched telephone network.
The M2A satellite, designed and produced by Space
Systems/Loral of the United States and its major subcontractor
Alcatel Espace of France, will provide services to 400,000
subscribers in Indonesia over the course of its initial phase.
After the initial service rollout, additional gateway stations
will be added at a rapid pace to provide service to four million
subscribers throughout Asia in the final configurations.
The satellite is designed to exploit the successful flight-
proven FS-1300 spacecraft bus from Loral, providing 10.4
kilowatts of power with a 12-year mission life.
The satellite, expected to provide telephone, data and figure
communications, television and other telecommunications services,
is scheduled to be launched by the first quarter of 1999, and be
operational by the middle of that year.
MMAI is a subsidiary of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) and
publicly listed PT Indosat, the primary provider of international
telecommunication services in Indonesia.
PSN is the first private satellite company in Indonesia and is
focused on becoming a fully integrated provider of satellite-
based telecommunications products and services in Asia.
Alcatel, the telecom segment of Alcatel Alsthom, designs,
manufactures and markets complete telecommunications systems.
With operations in over 130 countries, the company booked sales
of US$13.65 billion last year. (gis)