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TS News - Orion Announces Asia-Pacific Expansion

TELE-satellit News, 16 December 1996

Orion Announces Asia-Pacific Expansion
  TOKYO, Japan, 96/12/16 (TS) -- With the announcement that Orion Network
Systems has contracted with Hughes for a new communications satellite, the
US operator signalled its imminent expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. 

  The new satellite, to be located over the Pacific Ocean, is the second in
a series of three Orion satellites. Orion's first satellite, located over
the Atlantic Ocean, has been operational since January 1995, and serves
Europe, the United States to the Rocky Mountains and portions of Canada and
Mexico. A third satellite, expected to be announced soon, will also be
located over the Atlantic Ocean, and will expand Orion's services into
South America, Russia and the Middle East.

  The announcement this week also included an $89 million agreement with
Dacom, a major South Korean telecommunications common carrier, for
satellite communications capacity to serve the Korean peninsula.

  The Asia Pacific satellite, which the company plans to have operational
by late 1998, will be a high-power, high capacity, hybrid satellite using
C-band and ku-band. Ten C-band transponders will provide broad distribution
services, particularly to television and other program distributors. There
will be thirty-three ku-band transponders including eight to be used by
Dacom. These ku-band transponders will be used primarily for private
business network applications and direct-to-home (DTH) video services, said
the company.

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