The scheme was announced at the last working session of the National Steering Committee on Vinasat-1 last week. The committee completed its 13 years of work on the nation’s satellite development to hand over rights to use Vinasat-1 to project investor Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC).

At the committee’s final working session, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, head of the Steering Committee, said the nation had successfully completed the project to launch Vinasat-1 without any trouble.

Nhan agreed to transfer the satellite to the VNPT and the MIC, and asked the ministry to prepare to launch Vinasat-2 in the next two or three years.

Commenting on the commercial business activities of Vinasat-1, Bui Thien Minh, VNPT deputy general director, said VNPT was negotiating with domestic and foreign partners to sign new contracts to supply services to its clients.

VNPT would see a return of its investment in Vinasat-1 and start reaping profits after 10 years of operation, he said.

The Government has asked the ministry and VNPT to co-ordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security to train staff for satellite use projects. These projects must be submitted to the Government for approval before September 30.

According to the Ministries of National Defense and Public Security and Vietnam Television, the satellite-use projects will meet their schedules and be completed by 2010.

VNPT has planned to use the satellite to aid services for the trade, banking, transport, education and healthcare sectors.

The Vinasat-1 satellite was launched on April 19, 2008. It has an operational life of almost 26 years.

The US$200 million Vinasat-1 provides more than 200 digital television channels and tens of thousands of Internet data transmission and telephone channels.

The satellite’s footprint is expected to cover Vietnam, Laos, East Asia, India and Australia.

Two control posts for it have been built in the northern province of Ha Tay and in the southern province of Binh Duong. The satellite helps extend communications services to rural and remote areas where physical infrastructure on the ground, which requires prohibitively expensive investment, is not adequate.