The signal check between Vinasat-1, which is located at 132 degrees east, and the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City ground stations was clear, according to Vietnam Telecom International Company (VTI), a subsidiary of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) responsible for managing the use of the satellite.

The check was to confirm with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that Vinasat-1 had come into operation as scheduled, said VNPT’s Post Information Center Director Bui Quoc Viet.

The satellite’s manufacturer, US aerospace company Lockheed Martin Commercial, handed over all operation of Vinasat-1 to VNPT o­n the same day, with VNPT planning to officially provide services using the satellite in June.

Launched into orbit o­n April 19, the US$200-million satellite is expected to provide telecommunication services including internet provision and television broadcasts to the remote areas of Vietnam.

The satellite’s range spans South East Asian and East Asian countries, India and Australia.
It has a projected lifespan of 15 years