The sun rises over Pha That Luang in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: Flickr, Benh Lieu Song.

Thaicom has signed a transponder leasing agreement with MV International Company (MVI), a Thai broadcaster and Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform operator, to establish a pay-TV platform in Laos. Under the multi-year agreement, MVI has signed a contract for Ku-band capacity on the Thaicom 8 satellite.

According to Thaicom Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, satellite-enabled telecommunications infrastructure development is essential to the realization of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) goal of economic integration.

With a total of 24 Ku-band transponders covering Thailand, South Asia, and Africa, Thaicom 8 is supporting the broadband industry’s high demand for capacity as it transitions from Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD) to Ultra-HD. The satellite is co-located with Thaicom 5 and Thaicom 6 at 78.5 degrees east longitude.