The Thai government has revealed plans to take partial control in the management and operation of Thai satellite operator Thaicom's newest satellite.
The upcoming Thaicom 9 satellite will be renamed the “national satellite” and will likely be partly operated and managed by state-owned operator CAT Telecom, the Bangkok Postreported.
Over time the rest of Thaicom's satellites launched after 2016 are expected to be transitioned to this new operative framework, which has been designed by the government to bring the benefits of space-based economies to the people of Thailand.
According to the report, CAT is exploring three models for operation of the new satellite.
These are: CAT leading the operation with private sector minority investment; joint shareholding under the Public-Private Joint Venture regulatory regime; or Thaicom leading the operation while CAT buys 30% of the satellite's transponder capacity.
But Thaicom and the government have failed to reach an agreement on a new business structure for its satellite operations despite meeting many times. The Thaicom 9 is scheduled to launch in 2019 but the stalled negotiations could lead to delays.
Thaicom is a subsidiary of InTouch Holdings, the owner of Thailand's top mobile operator AIS. It was originally founded by ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.