[Satellite Today 07-24-08] SES Astra TechCom won a lucrative contract to deliver a network operations center for the new Vietnamese satellite system, Vinasat, SES Astra announced July 24.
    Vinasat-1, Vietnam’s first state-owned satellite, was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Services and has been operational since May. It is being used to reduce the digital divide in Vietnam and bring advanced telecoms and broadcast services to rural parts of Vietnam.
SES Astra TechCom will deliver the network operations center to Vietnam Telecom International, which operates the Vinasat-1 satellite. The end-to-end system includes uplink and downlink facilities in various frequency bands, as well as features for monitoring the satellite payloads and uplinks, in order to allow Vinasat to ensure continuous quality of the customers` video and audio services.