Intelsat announced that the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) of Myanmar signed a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement to utilize services on two Intelsat satellites to advance the deployment of the country’s wireless communications infrastructure, and expand broadband access for businesses.
The MOTC will use C-band satellite services on Intelsat 902 located at 62¡ East, and Ku-band services on Intelsat 906 located at 64¡ East for VSAT network and cellular backhaul services, respectively.
Terry Bleakley, Intelsat’s Regional VP for Asia-Pacific, said the MOTC will use the transponders to provide cellular backhaul for KGSN, the mobile network being built by the MPT, KDDI and Sumitomo.
“It will also be used for the government’s VSAT network, which is currently a 600-site network currently on Thaicom that will move over to this network,” he said. “And the ministry told us on Friday that they see a lot of other opportunities for growth going forward.”
“We will leverage [Intelsat’s] satellite solutions to extend 2G and 3G communications services beyond urban centers and ensure that all of our citizens have access to higher bandwidth, superior quality and more affordable mobile broadband connectivity,” said Khin Maung Thet, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications, in a statement. “Today’s announcement further underscores our commitment to building a more digitally inclusive society.”
By 2018, MOTC plans to move to the new, high power services on the recently announced Intelsat 39 satellite, the replacement spacecraft at the 62E orbital location.