Nerves Jangle At Ipstar Launch

[george]

Nerves jangle at iPSTAR launch

BANGKOK: -- The launch of the iPSTAR satellite was tinged with anxiety, superstition and a few dissenting whispers yesterday as the world’s largest broadband satellite spluttered into space after an initial glitch.

Giddy Shin Corp executives and guests gathered at Thaicom station on Rattanathibet Road to watch a live broadcast of the launch, but they feared the worst when Arianespace technicians detected a minor glitch at the launch pad minutes before take-off from French Guyana.

Owned by Shin Satellite, iPSTAR was initially scheduled for launch at 1.39pm but didn’t actually leave the ground until technicians fixed the problem two hours later.

The most ambitious project of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s telecom empire finally took to the skies at 3.20pm, to the relief of the assembled dignitaries.

The take-off was greeted by nervous applause from the VIP onlookers, who included Shin Corp chief executive Boonklee Plangsiri, Information and Communications Technology Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom and Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary to the premier.

Also present were National Telecommunications Commission members Artorn Chandavimol, Rianchai Reowilaisuk and Suchart Suchatvejapoom.

But where was the premier when his pride and joy spiralled into orbit?

No one knows for sure if Thaksin witnessed the launch, which was televised live on Channel 11 and iTV, but he was reportedly still at Government House until early afternoon.

Before the launch, Shin group asked all guests to take off their neckties before entering Thaicom station because Arianespace officials believed the ties would jinx the satellite launch.

When the anomaly was detected at the launch pad, a moderator at Thaicom station announced that anybody still wearing neckties should take them off.

The US$400-million iPSTAR project finally broke free of its earthly tethers when one guest from the financial sector remembered he was wearing a bow tie and promptly took it off.

Weighing over six tonnes, iPSTAR will take 30 days to anchor on the orbital slot of 119.5 degrees east.

Boonklee said the launch marks the debut of the “Thai brand” on the international stage, while executives of ShinSat said it represented a giant leap for Thai space technology.

Boonklee burst out laughing when the press told him a rumour that the iPSTAR broadband satellite was actually a spy satellite disguised as a commercial satellite.

“People who say things like that have too much free time to use their imaginations,” he said.

He said Thais would gain a wide range of benefits from iPSTAR, including low-cost telecom services, long-distance education and new services such as interactive TV.

ShinSat chairman Paron Israsena said the successful launch was attributed to ShinSat’s good deeds, such as using technology to support children’s education.

The three NTC members at Thaicom station said that they did nothing wrong by participating in the event since they did not meet Shin executives in private.

But it wasn’t all wine and roses for the celestial spacecraft.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary of the Pro-Democracy Campaign, said Shin executives tried to confuse people by telling them that iPSTAR is in the best interests of all Thai people.

“The fact is that iPSTAR just belongs to the Shinawatra family. Now we will see how much benefit it brings to Thai society,” he said.

--The Nation 2005-08-12

[george]

High hopes for iPSTAR

BANGKOK: -- Shin Satellite (ShinSat) expects its iPSTAR satellite to draw 200,000 customers by year’s end and said it would break even once its subscriber base accounts for 30 per cent of its total bandwidth.

ShinSat, operator of iPSTAR, the world’s largest broadband satellite which was successfully launched into orbit yesterday, also aims to secure substantial revenues from the patent fees for its broadband satellite technology.

During an interview by phone from the launch site in French Guyana, ShinSat executive chairman Dumrong Kasemseth said that Thailand is expected to account for 300,000 of the total targeted number of 4 million users.

ShinSat has already sold 20,000 signal receiving terminals at a cost of US$1,000 (Bt40,932) each in Vietnam, Burma, Australia and New Zealand, which currently accounts for 10 per cent of iPSTAR’s total bandwidth capacity of 45 gigabits per second.

The company expects that users in China and India will account for 25 per cent and 15 per cent respectively of iPSTAR’s total capacity.

ShinSat hopes that it is able to forge deals with telecom operators in China and India to act as wholesale distributors for the iPSTAR service by the end of this year as part of its plan to reach the break-even point quickly.

A ShinSat source said that the company is already in talks with the Chinese firm ChinaSat regarding the deal.

Potential distributors in the two major countries have yet to conclude iPSTAR distribution deals as they were waiting for the satellite’s successful launch.

iPSTAR will cover the vast Asia-Pacific region and will begin operations within the next 45 days.

ShinSat has spent $400 million on the satellite project which it started several years ago, aiming for it to be the flagship of the Shin group, owned by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The satellite offers a broad array of functions including voice and data services and broadband Internet access.

“The successful launch of iPSTAR means between 2 million and 4 million people in 14 Asia-Pacific countries will be able to access the broadband Internet for roughly $50 a month, regardless of their areas,” Dumrong said.

He added that mobile-phone operators would also be able to offer voice services to rural areas for roughly $2 a month.

Another major source of revenue for iPSTAR would come from the patent fees related to its broadband satellite technology, said Boonklee Plangsiri, the chief executive of Shin Corp, parent company of ShinSat.

He added that ShinSat might offer patent rights to companies interested in joining them to develop satellites in the future.

Dumrong said that countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America have expressed interest in iPSTAR technology.

He added that ShinSat would transfer services from its Thaicom 1 and 2 satellites to iPSTAR, to allow the two satellites to focus solely on broadcasting services.

Shin Corp’s share price closed at Bt38.75 yesterday, up from Bt38.25, while that of ShinSat dropped to Bt14.90 from Bt15.20.

ShinSat cited a report from the Internet and e-business information publisher eMarketer, which said that the number of households in the Asia-Pacific region grew from 6 million in 2000 to 57 million last year. That number is expected to surpass 100 million in 2007.

The satellite aims to serve the Universal Service Obligation initiative, which is aimed at providing all rural villages with equal access to telephone and Internet services.

iPSTAR also plans for the technology to be used to support disaster-management systems such as those used to deal with tsunamis.

TOT Plc president Teerawit Charuwat said TOT wants to utilise iPSTAR’s signal to offer “triple play” services - voice, broadband Internet and video transmission - nationwide.

Wichian Mektrakarn, executive vice president of operations at Advanced Info Service (AIS), a sister company of ShinSat, said that AIS aims to deploy the iPSTAR to support AIS’ upcoming third-generation (3G) mobile-phone services.

Meanwhile, Bonklee said that Shin would apply for the new licence for its upcoming Thaicom 5 satellite from the National Telecommunications Commission, instead of staying under the existing concession granted by the Information and Communications Technology Ministry.

ShinSat has been paying a concession fee of Bt700 million per year to the ministry.

--The Nation 2005-08-12

[sriracha john]

Before the launch, Shin group asked all guests to take off their neckties before entering Thaicom station because Arianespace officials believed the ties would jinx the satellite launch.

   

When the anomaly was detected at the launch pad, a moderator at Thaicom station announced that anybody still wearing neckties should take them off.

   

The US$400-million iPSTAR project finally broke free of its earthly tethers when one guest from the financial sector remembered he was wearing a bow tie and promptly took it off.

   

Boonklee said the launch marks the debut of the “Thai brand” on the international stage.

ShinSat chairman Paron Israsena said the successful launch was attributed to ShinSat’s good deeds,   such as using technology to support children’s education.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary of the Pro-Democracy Campaign, said Shin executives tried to confuse people by telling them that iPSTAR is in the best interests of all Thai people.

“The fact is that iPSTAR just belongs to the Shinawatra family. Now we will see how much benefit it brings to Thai society,” he said.

how right you are, Suryiyasai... we shall see

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting mix of ultra-modern technology with some-would-say-quirky beliefs of long ago...

I suppose that's what Boonklee meant by the "thai brand" of aerospace technology..

[george]

I believe the new satellite will be great for remote users in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Up to 8 MB via sat! Wow!

Check their home page: http://www.ipstar.com

[george]

Update:

THAICOM 4 (IPSTAR) launched, will break even in 3-4 years

BANGKOK: -- THAICOM 4 or IPSTAR, the communications satellite owned by Shin Corporation, was launched successfully Thursday from Europe's Spaceport Arianespace agency in French Guiana.

Shin Corporation President Boonklee Plangsiri said his firm's US$ 400 million investment in the IPSTAR could be recouped within four years.

The key markets for IPSTAR clientele are China, India, Australia and New Zealand. Thailand accounts for only 10 per cent of the market share.

As the satellite is designed to remain operational for 12 years, Shin Corporation projects an annual revenue of Bt 10 billion, which will enable it to break even within three to four years, said Mr. Boonklee.

According to Arianspace, THAICOM 4 (IPSTAR) will provide Internet access and broadband services to businesses and consumers using 84 spot beams, three shaped beams and seven regional broadcast beams covering 14 countries in the Asian Pacific region.

IPSTAR operates under a Build-Transfer-Operate license from the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.

--TNA 2005-08-12

[mouse]

“The successful launch of iPSTAR means between 2 million and 4 million people in 14 Asia-Pacific countries will be able to access the broadband Internet for roughly $50 a month, regardless of their areas,” Dumrong said.

Does that mean that we are going to have a price reduction soon?, cause the cheapest service avialable at this moment is at $73.17 per month.

Those of us with more speed 512kbps down/128kbps down are paying $121.95 a month

[george]

Using iPSTAR will save TOT B2bn a year

BANGKOK: -- TOT Plc says it will save at least two billion baht a year in rental fees after it shifts technology from other service providers to the broadband technology available on the new iPSTAR satellite.

TOT president Teerawit Charuwat said the state enterprise was paying 475 million baht a year to lease transponder services on iPSTAR, the world's largest commercial satellite which was launched into space on Thursday.

The $400-million satellite is the fourth to be put into orbit by Shin Satellite Plc, part of the telecommunications conglomerate founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The new satellite will provide broadband Internet service to at least 22 Asia-Pacific countries.

Mr Teerawit said that TOT would also become a fully fledged national service provider for iPSTAR, which would be able to cover all areas of Thailand that existing network operators are unable to service.

Installing ground terminals for iPSTAR is very easy and takes just a few hours, thus enabling speedy market expansion, according to Mr Teerawit.

--Bangkok Post 2005-08-14

[sriracha john]

Using iPSTAR will save TOT B2bn a year

BANGKOK: -- TOT Plc says it will save at least two billion baht a year in rental fees

That'll be a nice savings for the consumers then, right?... probably at least several hundred baht per household.

uhmm.. they ARE planning on passing along those savings to the consumer, aren't they?

[Heng]

Why? Most don't know what to do with savings anyway. Let the shareholders and stakeholders who will put it towards business keep the difference.

[sriracha john]

Why?  Most don't know what to do with savings anyway.    Let the shareholders and stakeholders who will put it towards business keep the difference.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Shareholders are still TOT consumers and would be eligible for the savings. Let them be entitled to the same benefit as all others. There's nothing special about them that they should take all the benefit and let the peons of society receive none.

The beneficial PR to "sharing the wealth" would be more meaningful to TOT than giving money to the fat cats in order to buy yet another boring trinket.

[Maestro]

Using iPSTAR will save TOT B2bn a year

BANGKOK: -- TOT Plc says it will save at least two billion baht a year in rental fees

That'll be a nice savings for the consumers then, right?... probably at least several hundred baht per household.

I keep reading (The Nation, online edition) that TOT is going to be privatised and some unkind tongues have it that the reason it is taking so long is that YOU KNOW WHO is not ready to buy it yet, it perhaps being inopportune in view of his current office.

[Maestro]

“The successful launch of iPSTAR means between 2 million and 4 million people in 14 Asia-Pacific countries will be able to access the broadband Internet for roughly $50 a month, regardless of their areas,” Dumrong said.

Does that mean that we are going to have a price reduction soon?, cause the cheapest service avialable at this moment is at $73.17 per month.

Those of us with more speed 512kbps down/128kbps down are paying $121.95 a month

$50 seems rather stiff for Thailand's pro capita income.

I find Thailand quite advanced in many ways: excellent transportation network, reasonably good education, but lacking in telecommuniations, the third factor important for rapid economic growth. Perhaps things will soon get better in this sector, too.

[joe beets]

I find Thailand quite advanced in many ways: excellent transportation network, reasonably good education, but lacking in telecommuniations, the third factor important for rapid economic growth. Perhaps things will soon get better in this sector, too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Maestro]

I find Thailand quite advanced in many ways: excellent transportation network, reasonably good education, but lacking in telecommuniations, the third factor important for rapid economic growth. Perhaps things will soon get better in this sector, too.

You may have a point there:

QUOTE

Recent official evaluations have concluded that after six years, education reform in the Kingdom remains far from achieving its goals.

UNQUOTE

Source: The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/17...l_18361691.html