U.S.'s Odyssey plans alliance in Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Odyssey Telecommunications International Inc., a satellite telecommunications company set up by TRW of the United States and Teleglobe of Canada, is seeking a partner in Indonesia with which to operate a global telecommunications system.

Odyssey's director, Peter D. Stenzel, said here yesterday that the company is constructing a satellite-based mobile communication system, called Odyssey, to provide communications services to subscribers around the globe by 1999.

"We will operate just 12 satellites in the medium-earth orbit and seven earth stations. The first satellite will be launched in 1999," he said, adding that by June 2000 six satellites are expected to be in orbit.

The remainder of the 12 satellites will be in orbit by early 2001, he said.

He said that his company expects to attract 400,000 subscribers by the end of 2000 and some nine million subscribers by 2010.

"Indonesia is one of the major markets in the Asia-Pacific region after China and India," he said.

"We are still negotiating with some private firms which will be the Odyssey operator in Indonesia. We will hopefully be able to announce the partner by the end of this year," he added.

Another global satellite telecommunications operator, Globalstar of the U.S., is also looking for a partner in Indonesia to operate its system. Globalstar, which will use 48 satellites, expects to launch its first four satellites in mid- 1997, and aims to commence commercial operations in 1998.

The Odyssey system, involving an investment of US$2 billion, will use medium-earth orbits for its satellites, while Globalstar will use low-earth orbits. Both projects are satellite-based digital telecommunications systems which will offer wireless telephone and other telecommunications services worldwide.

In addition to Globalstar and Odyssey, the International Maritime Satellite (Inmarsat) is planning a similar project, called Inmarsat P, which will use 10 satellites. America's Motorola also plans to develop a global system, at a cost of $4 billion, using 66 satellites.

A consortium of Indonesian, Filipino and Thai firms is also working on a satellite-based Asian telecommunications system, to be called the Asian Cellular Satellite System. (icn)