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Shin Satellite Sets B10bn Revenue Target

Posted on: Friday, 23 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Komsan Tortermvasana, Bangkok Post, Thailand

Dec. 23--Shin Satellite aims to earn 10 billion baht in revenue next year, following the launch of its fourth satellite iPSTAR in August and the official start of commercial services.

The company made the projection at an event held yesterday to appoint TOT Plc as the national service operator for iPSTAR, the world's largest broadband satellite, in Thailand.

Shin Satellite executive chairman Dr Dumrong Kasemset said the company had already opened six iPSTAR gateways in five countries -- Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand and Burma -- out of a total of 18 gateways in 14 countries around the Asia Pacific region.

It has been offering iPSTAR services through 12 providers for three years, using iPSTAR gateways through its conventional satellites -- Thaicom 1, 2 and 3.

To date, more than 20,000 user terminals using the services have been successfully installed, he said.

Following the launch of iPSTAR, customers using Shin's conventional satellites were being relocated to iPSTAR, with services provided by TOT, he said.

Dr Dumrong said that iPSTAR would generate two channels of revenue: from bandwidth and user terminals. For next year, he projected 100,000 terminals would be brought online by TOT, and 100,000 terminals each from China and India.

Shin Satellite forecast increased revenue from selling terminals, and steady growth from bandwidth leasing next year.

But when iPSTAR starts commercial services next year, the company's total revenue is expected to double from this year to 10 billion baht next year -- half of which would come from iPSTAR.

TOT president Teerawit Charuwat said TOT had signed a seven-year contract to lease 1.4 Gigabits of iPSTAR bandwidth at 475 million baht a year. TOT has appointed 12 local dealers to resell the bandwidth to operators.

Dr Dumrong said iPSTAR technology would benefit organisations and individuals. He added that TOT would use iPSTAR to expand the rural telephone network, introducing it to areas at risk from natural disasters where terrestrial networks would be inoperable.

TOT will also introduce iPSTAR for corporate intranets for government organisations and state enterprises, such as for 11,000 terminals at the Education Ministry.

Shin Satellite (SATTEL) shares closed yesterday on the SET at 14.20 baht, down 0.10, in trade worth 45.11 million baht.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Bangkok Post, Thailand

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SHSEF,

Source: Bangkok Post

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