Bids for Vietnam's first satellite in final lap
HANOI - Companies from
France, America, Russia and Japan are in
the final stages of bidding to build and launch
Vietnam's first satellite, but experts say
Hanoi must first agree to coordinate its orbit
with Tonga and Japan.
Cut down from eight, the race for the $200
million communications satellite is down to
consortia led by the U.S.'s Lockheed Martin
Corp , EADS Astrium-Alcatel of France, NEC
-Toshiba -Sumitomo Corp
of Japan with America's Orbital
Sciences .
Another Russian firm, the state-run NPO PM,
is on the list.
A result will be announced at the earliest,
"before the end of this year", Luu Van
Luong, senior expert on satellite
communications told Reuters on Wednesday
on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Satellite
Communications Council conference.
If the contract is signed by year-end, the
communications satellite called Vinasat to be
used to expand telecoms, radio and
television services would be launched and
operational by early 2006, the bidders said.
But before Vinasat is shot into its registered
orbital slot of 132 degrees east, Vietnam
needs to ensure it has agreements from
countries with overlapping slots -- Japan
and Tonga. Without proper coordination, the
project could be derailed, experts say.
First come, first serve
The registration, done with Geneva's
International Telecommunication Union, "is
(satellite) access on a first come, first serve
basis", said Jorn Christensen, head of a
Canadian consultancy that bears his name.
"They (Vietnam) would have to coordinate
with everyone in front of the line," he said.
That includes Tonga, which has rights to 130
degrees east and 134 degrees east but has
no satellites of its own and leases one from
China.
In some of these cases, governments have
been willing to sell their rights to the slots.
Hanoi said it is confident the talks would be
concluded favourably. "The process needs
to continue, but we are optimistic we will be
able to finalise (them) on time," Luong said.
Vinasat is scheduled to have up to 28
transponders, each carrying four to six
television channels, and have a 15-year
lifespan.
It is expected to take over local
communications services currently leased
from foreign satellites including those from
Thailand and Indonesia and expand the
reach of TV, radio and Internet networks to
more rural locations.
Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest
defence company, was one of the four
bidders that went through a round of
questioning in September by the Vinasat
evaluation committee.
If chosen, Lockheed would build the A2100 satellite which would be sent into orbit with a Proton launcher.
Financing is also secure, said Jim Gribbon, Singapore-based director of business development for Lockheed. "We
feel confident we can supply up to 100 percent from a combination of the U.S. Exim Bank guarantees and
international commercial banks."
Satellite maker Orbital Sciences, which is with the team of the three Japanese bidders, says Vinasat will expand
Vietnam's business and economic infrastructure.
Eddie Kato, vice president of marketing and business development at Orbital Sciences, said bidders were now in a
wait-and-see mode. "Right now it's quiet and we think the customer is thinking about it."
By Christina Toh-Pantin - Reuters - October 08, 2003.
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