Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) announced that the construction of AsiaSat 4 has formally commenced following the conclusion of a satellite procurement contract with Hughes Space and Communications International, Inc (Hughes).
AsiaSat 4 is the Company’s fourth satellite, scheduled for launch in the first half of 2002. This new satellite will be positioned at the orbital slot of 122 degrees East.
AsiaSat 4, a Hughes HS601HP satellite, will carry 28 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders and has an operational life of 15 years. The C-band payload is designed to offer pan-Asian coverage, similar to that of the Company’s two other satellites, AsiaSat 2 and AsiaSat 3S. The Ku-band payload, offering high power and spot beams for selected areas, will consist of 16 Ku-band transponders operating in the FSS (Fixed Satellite Service) frequency band and four designed to operate in the BSS (Broadcast Satellite Service) frequency band. Assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to Hong Kong at 122 degrees East, these BSS frequencies allow broadcasters to offer Direct-to-Home (DTH) service in Hong Kong on AsiaSat 4.
“We are very excited about adding a new member to our fleet of satellites. Our procurement of AsiaSat 4 marks another major milestone of AsiaSat’s expanding satellite service for the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to meeting the future demand for satellite-delivered applications by exploring opportunities at this new orbital location,” said Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
