Pakistan to Launch Communication Satellite

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 04, 2002

Pakistan to Launch Communication Satellite

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Pakistan is expected to launch its own communication satellite by December this year. This was declared by Minister for Science and Technology Atta-ur-Rehman while addressing a press conference Thursday in Islamabad.

Atta said that by launching this satellite, "We will be able tofurther decrease the bandwidth rates as there will be a huge amount of bandwidth capability available in the country."

The satellite would also be used for transmission of new TV channels, he added.

He said that the federal cabinet on Wednesday gave approval of acquisition of Hughes Global Systems Satellite (HGS3) as PAKSAT satellite on lease for five years with an initial cost of some 4.5million US dollars.

Another 4.6 million dollars will be payable for the next five years for operational expenses as long as the satellite remains functional, Atta added.

Atta said the satellite would be positioned at 38 degree E. This option had been necessitated to preserve Pakistan's slot for satellite expiring on April 19, 2003, he said.

Pakistan would have lost the slot if the decision to acquire a satellite on lease had not been taken, he said, adding the decision would provide various benefits to the country's communication system.

Atta said the initial studies of Pakistan's needs to have its own satellite to serve the communication, strategic and other needs were carried out in 1984.

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