Philippines to launch first satellite in 1996

Philippines to launch first satellite in 1996

MANILA (AFP): The government and a private consortium of telecommunications firms have signed an agreement on the conditions for the launch of the Philippines' first satellite by the end of 1996, the transportation department said yesterday.

Under the accord signed with the 16 companies, the consortium will have exclusive rights to provide satellite space segments to Philippine users within the satellite's footprint for 10 years.

Those under existing contracts with other satellite systems will be required to use the Philippine satellite after the expiration of their contracts, the department said in a statement.

The consortium, which includes telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), agreed to give the government one transponder free of charge for its exclusive use for non-commercial purposes.

However, the consortium may lease or rent the pod when not in use by Manila. The government will also be given the right of first refusal to another transponder in the satellite, if available.

The government applied last month for four orbital slots with the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union, but has yet to choose a company to launch the satellite which is expected to cost US$200 million.

The government, which is the only agency empowered to apply for an orbital slot, had been insisting that the consortium grant them one free transponder in return but the private firms had previously been reluctant to do this.

The Philippines presently rents space on the Indonesian satellite.

Transportation department officials previously said Arianespace of France, Pan American Satellite of the United States, the Great Wall group of China, and Global Information Systems of Russia have all made offers to launch the satellite.