Vietnam’s first telecommunication satellite, Vinasat-1, officially launched its services at the Que Duong ground control centre in Ha Tay province on May 30.

The launch followed Vinasat-1 manufacturer Lockheed Martin of the US formally handing over the satellite to the Vietnamese operator, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) on May 29.

Vietnam’s first telecommunication satellite, Vinasat-1, officially launched its services at the Que Duong ground control centre in Ha Tay province on May 30.

The launch followed Vinasat-1 manufacturer Lockheed Martin of the US formally handing over the satellite to the Vietnamese operator, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) on May 29.

Lockheed Martin technicians will provide assistance to Vietnamese technicians to operate Vinasat-1 for at least another six months.

Vinasat-1 went on line on May 22, successfully receiving and transmitting standard signals with the two telecommunications centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .

The 200 million-USD Vinasat-1 will provide more than 200 digital television channels and tens of thousands of Internet data transmission and telephone channels via the two ground control centres in northern Ha Tay province and southern Binh Duong province.

The satellite’s range is expected to cover Vietnam , Laos , East Asia , India and Austria with a prospective life span of 15 years.
The VNPT said 16 clients have registered to use Vinasat-1 services, including Ho Chi Minh City Television and the VTC, which plan to each use 10 percent of the satellite’s capacity.

According to the Vietnam Telecom International (VTI), an auxiliary of the VNPT, all local clients can complete procedures for their use of Vinasat-1 services within this year.

VTI said Vinasat-1 should be operating at full capacity within three years.