Satelindo's third Palapa satellite ready in 2 years

JIMBARAN, Bali (JP): PT Satelindo, the private telecommunications operator, is planning to launch its third satellite system -- Palapa C3 -- within the next two years.

Company president Saleh Gunawan said here yesterday that the satellite system, which would probably be renamed, was designed to serve more than 100 digital services covering Indonesia, China and India.

"The system will use high-powered Ku-band satellites serving interactive consumers, direct to their home and data services," he said, adding that Satelindo expected to led the Ku-band market in the Asian region.

He told The Jakarta Post that four satellite makers, including the United States' Hughes, Loral and Lockheed Martin and France's Aerospatiale were under consideration to build the system.

Satelindo currently operates the Palapa C1 and C2 which were launched in January and May 1996, respectively. Both satellites, built by Hughes, have 24 C-bands and four Ku-band transponders.

Saleh said that Satelindo must be customer oriented if it wants to win the satellite competition in Asia.

"Competition is getting fiercer. Luckily, Indonesia has 20 years experience in the satellite business, while there are some 2.3 million dishes directed toward the Palapa C satellites," he said at the sidelines of a Palapa-users gathering hosted by the company.

Satelindo's general manager Sven-Olof Koopmann said that the Palapa C1 was currently 50 percent occupied and the C2 95 percent occupied.

"Not a single company has quit Satelindo to use another satellite system."

In addition to Satelindo, Indonesia has licensed other companies to operate satellites, including the state-owned PT Telkom, PT PSN, PT ACeS, PT M2A and PT Datakom Asia.

A director of PT Aplikanusa Lintasarta, Mulia P. Tambunan, said his company was satisfied with the one-fourth transponder it leased from Satelindo.

"There have been some technical problems like interference but Satelindo always offers a satisfying response and service."

MTV's technical manager, Tan Sher Li, said that the meeting helped users understand Satelindo's services.

"We can also share ideas on the latest technology with other Palapa users."

Koopmann said another topic discussed during the meeting concerned the leasing tariffs which are set in U.S. dollars.

"Some domestic companies expressed their difficulty in paying the bills due to the ongoing rupiah depreciation, but we can't do anything because the rates are regulated and set by the government," he said. (icn)