Indosat, ICO sign deal

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned PT Indosat signed yesterday an agreement with ICO Global Communications, a satellite-based personal communications services operator, to construct and operate a satellite access node for the service.

Under the agreement signed by Indosat's director of marketing and sales, Bambang Sulistyo, and ICO's president, Olof Lundberg, Indosat will arrange the site for the construction of the satellite access node's earth station, build and operate as well as maintain it.

Indosat won the project last year and will keep 10 years of operations between 2000 and 2010.

Indosat will set up the earth station in Gresik, East Java. Construction will start later this year and be completed in March next year.

ICO was established by the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, known as Inmarsat, which provides mobile communications for ships at sea, aircraft and land users. It owns and operates a number of telecommunications satellites.

Indosat has spent US$20 million to acquire a 1.39 percent stake in I-CO, which will launch a global mobile satellite system in 2000. The system, set to use 11 satellites, will permit mobile voice and data communications through hand-held telephones anywhere in the world, on land, sea or air.

Other earth stations are located in China, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, India, South Africa, Chile and the United States. (icn)