[Satellite TODAY 06-15-10] Thailand’s government is planning to buy Temasek Holdings’ stake in Thaicom for national security reasons after protesters broke into Thaicom’s facility and used its signal for anti-government demonstrations in April, government officials announced June 14.
    While the government has yet to make a formal offer, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva confirmed to press officials that negotiations are underway.
    Thaicom’s concession expires in 2021. The company was founded by Thaksin in 1991 and has reported a net loss in three of the past four years. In its latest quarterly report, released in May, showed Thaicom cut losses in its first quarter to $4.8 million, down from $6.8 million in net losses in the 2009 first quarter.  The operator said that an 11 percent increase in revenues from satellite services, compared to the corresponding quarter last year, helped cut losses.
   Thaicom is investing heavily into its IPStar broadband strategy and expects to see an increase in take-up in 2010. At the end of 2009, Thaicom had sold less than than 200,000 Ipstar user terminals.

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