Alcatel win RI contract

JAKARTA (JP): French telecommunications giant Alcatel in association with Space System/Loral of the United States has won a contract to assemble the Multi-Media Asia (M2A) satellite for PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of Indonesia.

Alcatel stated here yesterday that the total value of the M2A satellite contract was about US$350 million, and that its participation was worth about $100 million.

The contract included the in-orbit-delivery of a satellite and long lead parts for an optional second satellite. There were provisions for five more satellites, the company 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 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 telecommunication services, is scheduled to be launched by the first quarter of 1999, and be operational by the middle of that year. (icn)