Oct 2, 2007, 12:11 GMT
Hanoi - Vietnam plans to launch its first orbit satellite March 29, 2008, reducing the country's reliance on leased foreign satellites for its communication traffic, an official said Tuesday.
The satellite, dubbed Vinasat, is being built by US's Lockheed Martin and is scheduled to be launched from France, using an Arianspace rocket, according to Hoang Minh Thong, head of the Vinasat project management board under the Vietnam Post and Telecoms Group (VNPT).
'If launched as scheduled, the satellite will be transferred to VNPT on April 27, 2008 for commercial operations,' Thong said.
The 250-million-dollar satellite, including construction and launching cost, will have 20 transmitters and will stay in orbit for between 15 and 20 years, according to Thong.
Vinasat will provide data transmission, internet, television and radio coverage to the whole of Vietnam and other parts of South-East Asia and Eastern Australia.
Vietnam now rents satellite transmission services from Thailand, Indonesia and Russia to transmit state television and radio, but will save some 10 million dollars a year once Vinasat is in orbit.
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