The US$200 million satellite, built by US giant Lockheed Martin, went into orbit at 132^o E – a position that Vietnam registered with the International Telecommunications Union in 1999. It has the capacity to provide around 120 digital television channels and tens of thousands of Internet data transmission and telephone channels. Its footprint will cover Vietnam, Laos, East Asia, East China, India, Australia, Japan and the Korean peninsular, and has a lifespan of 15 years.

After watching the live broadcast of the launch in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung praised the effective cooperation between the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and their foreign partners, namely Canada’s Telesat, the US’s Lockheed Martin and France’s Arianspace in implementing the project over the past 10 years.

According to Mr Dung, Vinasat –1 will help Vietnam provide telecoms, Internet, radio and television transmission services to far-flung areas and islands where the local residents find it difficult to get access to these services through the traditional transmitting technology. Notably, he said the satellite will play an important role in facilitating the development of the marine-based economy, forecasting natural disasters, supporting rescue work and disseminating information for fishermen.

The Vietnamese Government leader affirmed that together with the current international economic integration process, Vietnam considers telecommunications and information technology as a national spearhead industry, which has already received great support and substantial investment from the Government. He expressed his hope that the satellite will be managed and used effectively to contribute to the country’s socio-economic development.

Lockheed Martin is scheduled to hand over control of the satellite to Vietnam on May 24 and VNPT will begin to provide services from June 1. The satellite will be managed by a ground control station located in northern Ha Tay province’s Que Duong district, and an auxiliary control station in southern Binh Duong province. 

*** The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received Marshall Byrd, the General Manager of Lockheed Martin in Hanoi. Mr Dung said that the successful blast-off has opened up bright prospects for further cooperation between Vietnam and Lockheed Martin group as well as between Vietnam and the US.

The Vietnamese Government is actively implementing cooperation agreements signed between the two countries’ top leaders, particularly in the area of economics, trade, investment, science and technology and education, in the interest of the two nations, stressed Mr Dung.