Thaicom lands Bt1-bn deals in first quarter

The Nation

Formerly known as Shin Satellite, Asia's leading operator of commercial satellites and the iPSTAR broadband satellite said it landed 22 contracts worth US$33 million (Bt1 billion), representing strong growth

in the demand for satellite bandwidth services on the Thaicom platform.

New customers on the Thaicom 5 satellite included Airtel and Kohinoor Broadcasting, both from India, and PAK Television Network and AKS Communication, both from Pakistan. Komson Seripapong, head of marketing, said the company welcomed 11 TV channels on Thaicom 5, bringing the total number to over 240 on a single platform.

Many of these are using the company's Thaicom Teleport and DTH Centre at Pathum Thani's Ladlumkaew.

"Apart from the high growth iPSTAR business, our Thaicom conventional satellite business is still a major source of revenue for the company," Komson said.

"It not only reflects the trust they place on our services, but is an indication of the continued growth we expect from this business in 2008."