Indosat, ICO sign deal

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)