Shin Satellite shifts into gear for b'band era, as does New Skies Satellite

摘要

Having finally received the OK from U.S. Export-Import Bank for the crucial US$250 million loan to finance its broadband iPSTAR-1 satellite, Thai-listed satellite operator Shin Satellite must now ensure the vaunted bird lives up to the hype. Heavily marketed as Asia's first broadband satellite, iPSTAR-1 has had some of the wind taken from its sails by the emergence of another broadband satellite operator ? New Skies Satellites - which hopes to launch its broadband NSS-6 bird in November. Shin Sat officials, however, are confident that iPSTAR-1 will be a major cash cow, pointing out that 30% of the bird's capacity has been presold and that the project should be EBITDA-positive in the first year following its 2004 commercial launch.