World's largest broadband satellite nears launch date

BANGKOK: -- Shin Satellite is set to move iPSTAR, the world's largest broadband satellite, to the Ariane satellite launch base in French Guiana within the next two weeks following the conclusion of final testing.

After a number of postponements due mainly to technical problems, Shin Satellite passed a final ground test and planned to launch iPSTAR into orbit within the next few months.

Shin Satellite currently has three satellites in service _ Thaicom 1, 2 and 3 _ with footprints covering Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe.

Chief financial officer Tanadit Charoenchan said the company's satellite business was poised to continue growing, thanks to strong economic growth of countries in Asia Pacific, its major customers.

But he admitted that competition had intensified due to the oversupply of satellite transponders.

Mr Tanadit said the company expected improved revenue in the second half of this year, thanks to iPSTAR services and some long-term contracts for Thaicom services already signed with state agencies.

Even though iPSTAR has not been launched yet, the service is already generating revenue, bringing in 3.1 billion baht last year, through pre-launch marketing, which has resulted in the setting up of the first-generation gateways and sales of 5,500 user terminals.

Shin Satellite expects iPSTAR to break even once the company leases out 20% of the total transponders, or eight gigabytes out of the total 40.

Shin Satellite (SATTEL) reported first-quarter net profit of 201 million baht on revenue of 1.229 billion baht, thanks to a 35.2% rise in business in Laos and Cambodia.

Of the total revenue, 755 million baht came from the satellite business, 460 million from mobile phone operations in Laos and Cambodia and the rest from Internet services.

Shares of SATTEL closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 16.90 baht, down 20 satang, in trade worth 144 million baht.

--Bangkok Post 2005-05-14

World's largest broadband satellite nears launch date

BANGKOK: -- Shin Satellite is set to move iPSTAR, the world's largest broadband satellite, to the Ariane satellite launch base in French Guiana within the next two weeks following the conclusion of final testing.

After a number of postponements due mainly to technical problems, Shin Satellite passed a final ground test and planned to launch iPSTAR into orbit within the next few months.

Shin Satellite currently has three satellites in service _ Thaicom 1, 2 and 3 _ with footprints covering Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe.

Chief financial officer Tanadit Charoenchan said the company's satellite business was poised to continue growing, thanks to strong economic growth of countries in Asia Pacific, its major customers.

But he admitted that competition had intensified due to the oversupply of satellite transponders.

Mr Tanadit said the company expected improved revenue in the second half of this year, thanks to iPSTAR services and some long-term contracts for Thaicom services already signed with state agencies.

Even though iPSTAR has not been launched yet, the service is already generating revenue, bringing in 3.1 billion baht last year, through pre-launch marketing, which has resulted in the setting up of the first-generation gateways and sales of 5,500 user terminals.

Shin Satellite expects iPSTAR to break even once the company leases out 20% of the total transponders, or eight gigabytes out of the total 40.

Shin Satellite (SATTEL) reported first-quarter net profit of 201 million baht on revenue of 1.229 billion baht, thanks to a 35.2% rise in business in Laos and Cambodia.

Of the total revenue, 755 million baht came from the satellite business, 460 million from mobile phone operations in Laos and Cambodia and the rest from Internet services.

Shares of SATTEL closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 16.90 baht, down 20 satang, in trade worth 144 million baht.

--Bangkok Post 2005-05-14

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So,how will that effect present IP-star users.? I thought the sattelite was already up there, seeing as I've been using IP-star for six months. Will it be cheaper? I swear by the service,but for the fact that it's bloody expensive. I've had very little problems with it.The only thing I didn't like, I paid 20,000 installation,but now I hear the installation is just 5,000. I suppose that's normal for Thailand though. When it first opened the promotional price was 4x the normal price. They manage to get everything arseabout apex here.