[Pakistan] Paksat-1 to become operational from February 1

["Irfan Khan" <khania2@super.net.pk>]

[from comp-list]

Paksat-1 to become operational from February 1

The Nation, 1/16/2003
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/160103/national/isb4.htm
  

ISLAMABAD (APP) – The first communication satellite of the country 
would become operational on regular basis from February 1. The first 
phase of functionality test has already been conducted successfully 
and after holding the other tests, the satellite would start 
operation according to the schedule, an official of the Ministry of 
Information Technology and Telecommunications told this agency here 
on Wednesday. He said the test process of the satellite (Paksat-1) 
which started moving in December last year, would be completed within 
this month. The satellite would help further decrease the bandwidth 
rates as there will be a huge amount of bandwidth capability 
available in the country, he said. The satellite, which would also be 
used for transmission of new TV channels has 30 C-band and 4 Ku band 
transponders on board. Elaborating further, he said internal testing 
totally depends on technical test and physical position of the 
satellite. The movement of the satellite from 52 to 38 E (degree 
east) orbital location had also been completed in the first phase, 
the official added. He said since the satellite has reached the 
required position, the ministry has decided to carry out the final 
tests. The official said in the final phase, the functioning of the 
satellite’s transponders would be tested. The satellite has 40 
transponder comprising 30 of C band and 10 of KU band. “To check the 
transponders’ performance we would throw signals in three different 
modes including data carriers, voice carriers and TV carriers,” the 
official added. The transponders would receive, amplify and then 
return the signal to the end user, he explained, adding, test of one 
transponder was enough but some four to five would be tested to 
confirm its proper functioning. The ministry made the decision to 
start this satellite project after it came to know that the orbital 
slot allocated to Pakistan by the ITU (38 degrees East) would lapse 
in April 2003 unless Pakistan has a satellite in place with 
transponders switched on and the ownership of the slot was approved 
internationally. The ministry in August last year signed an agreement 
with Hughes Global Satellite System - the US-based satellite 
positioning giant - to position Pakistan’s satellite. The cabinet had 
approved the acquisition of Hughes Global Systems Satellite (HGS3) as 
the Paksat-1 satellite, on lease for five years with an initial cost 
of approximately $4.5 million, while another $4.6 million would be 
payable for the next five years for operational expenses as long as 
the satellite remains functional. The cabinet took the decision after 
going through the recommendation of the high powered committee on 
PAKSAT constituted by President General Pervez Musharraf. An 
implementation strategy was also worked out by the Committee later. 
The negotiation team held detailed discussions with Hughes Global 
Systems on various aspects of relocation of the satellite from 50 
degree East to 38 degree East. It also worked out the issues 
including occupation of the orbital slot (38 degree East) and to 
attain frequency coordination with the concerned administrations for 
securing the maximum numbers of transponders for our use.