Arianespace optimistic about Asian demand

Arianespace optimistic about Asian demand

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Arianespace, a European commercial space transportation
company, said on Thursday it expected higher demands for
satellite launches by Asian countries on the back of the growing
regional telecommunications sector.

Richard Bowles, director of Arianespace's Southeast Asia
office, said that sound economic growth in the region would boost
the market for the telecommunication industry.

"With the people in Asia now getting richer and richer, there
will be a growing demand for telecommunications, particularly in
broadcast technology," he said, adding that television broadcasts
would, by its very nature, boost the demand for satellite
launches.

Asian countries now account for 30 percent of Arianespace's
commercial world market, while its largest market share is
Europe.

Bowles declined to give a projection on future market shares.

The leader in commercial satellite transportation, Arianespace
secured in November 2002 a contract from Indonesian
telecommunication company PT Telkom to launch a communication
satellite, called Telkom-2, after taking part in an open tender.

Telkom-2 will be launched at the end of 2004. Previously,
Arianespace had successfully sent three Indonesian communication
satellites -- Palapa C-2, Cakrawarta and Telkom-1 -- into their
geostationary orbits.

Established in 1980 and currently owned by companies from 11
countries in Europe, Arianespace has made over 150 successful
launches.