Satelindo seeks global satellite projects
Satelindo seeks global satellite projects
JAKARTA (JP): PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo), a
private telecommunications operator, plans to establish
partnerships in several global satellite telecommunications
projects.
The company's president, Iwa Sewaka, said that his company
would court the projects offering the biggest benefits to
Satelindo.
Iwa said last week that it was Satelindo's long-term plan to
participate in integrated global communication systems developed
by international consortiums.
There are currently several global satellite projects with
plans to launch satellite-based telecommunications systems. The
multibillion dollar projects Iridium, Odyssey, Globalstar,
Teledisc and Inmarsat P will begin operating within the next five
or six years.
Iridium, led by American Motorola, plans to spend US$4 billion
on a telephone network with 66 satellites to be sent into orbit
starting in 1998. The initial stage of the global network will
have the capacity to serve 1.5 million mobile telephones and
500,000 international pagers.
Another American project, the Globalstar system, plans to
launch 48 low-orbit satellites to provide worldwide telephone and
other digital communication services. Current investors in the
project include France Telecom and Alcatel of France, Germany
Deutsche Aerospace, Dacom and Hyundai of Korea, and AirTouch
Communications and Qualcomm of the United States.
Odyssey, a consortium established by TRW from the U.S. and
Canada's Teleglobe, also plans to operate 12 satellites in the
medium-earth orbit. The project is expected to commence by 2000.
Apart from Iridium, Globalstar and Odyssey, the International
Maritime Satellite (Inmarsat) organization is planning a similar
project, called Inmarsat P. It will use 10 satellites.
"We will first propose to global satellite operators to
establish a central gateway in Indonesia. If the business has
prospects, we will join them as shareholders," Iwa said,
He refused to name which project Satelindo is most interested
in joining, saying that the choice would be based on the
satellite coverage.
It would be most beneficial if the project had a global
operation, instead of covering only the Asia-Pacific region, he
added.
Satelindo, which provides international telecommunications
calls, satellite and cellular telephone services, has signed an
accord with PT Asian Cellular System (ACeS) to provide ACeS
services in Indonesia.
ACeS, owned equally by PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of
Indonesia, Philippines Long Distance Telephone Co. and Jasmine
International Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand, will introduce an
Asia-wide cellular mobile telecommunications system in 1998. It
will have four geostationary satellites called Garuda.
According to Iwa, Satelindo also plans to participate in more
fiber optic submarine cable projects developed by international
consortiums.
He said that Satelindo had now been involved in the Asia-
Pacific cable Network, Fiber Optic Around the Globe (FLAG), and
the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 3.
Satelindo, in cooperation with the Britain-based Mercury, had
30 circuits worth $400,000 in FLAG, Iwa said. (icn)