Bakrie joins Iridium

JAKARTA (JP): PT Bakrie Communications Corporations, a joint venture between the widely diversified Bakrie Group and PTT Telecom Netherlands, has invested US$100 million in an Iridium project.

Bakrie said yesterday that with the involvement, the company was entitled to operate and deliver mobile satellite services in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific countries.

Bakrie will collaborate with Nippon Iridium Corp of Japan, a consortium of 17 Japanese firms led by DDI.

Iridium is an international consortium founded by the American Motorola Inc.

It plans to spend about US$4 billion to create a telephone network with 66 satellites that will be sent into orbit by 1998. (icn)