[Satellite News – 5-21-08] The launch of the VinaSat-1 satellite marked a key moment for Vietnam’s space aspirations. The satellite enables Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT), to provide a greater range of services to people throughout Vietnam.
Vietnam began providing satellite services to its population in the 1980s via the Intersputnik satellite system, and in 1987 moved to Intelsat. Vinasat-1, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and placed in orbit in April, is Vietnam’s first telecommunications satellite.
Lam Hoang Vinh, vice president of VNPT, spoke with Mark Holmes, associate editor of Satellite News, about how the satellite will benefit Vietnam and the company’s satellite plans.

Satellite News: How important is VinaSat-1 for Vietnam’s overall communications infrastructure?

Vinh: The VinaSat-1 project brings very important and significant meaning from an economic as well as social point of view. From a social point of view, two-thirds of Vietnam’s area is highlands and mountains. Only 70 percent of people in Vietnam can watch TV. Only 57 percent of the population can use a telephone. What the VinaSat-1 satellite enables us to do is to provide telecommunications as well as media services throughout the country to try and bring the people in remote areas to have the same services as the people have in urban areas. This is important from a social point of view. We can now enable people throughout the country to have the same benefits of modern telecommunications and media services.
From an economic point of view, an improved telecoms infrastructure will lead to an improved economy. With VinaSat, we complete our telecoms infrastructure. We can provide services even when normal transmissions cannot be reached, like cable for example. When you develop the telecoms infrastructure, the investment in those areas will come after. This will [aid] the economic development conditions in the remote areas and this is very important for Vietnam.

Satellite News: How will satellite technology work with terrestrial and other wireless technologies in Vietnam?

Vinh: We view the satellite to provide services to rural areas and provide media services. This strategy is different from previously, where we had more of an international focus. We are now looking at the domestic market. Besides that, the satellite strategy for remote areas [is to] provide services like GPS, a service that is very normal in the [United Kingdom]. We are also looking to improve the way we monitor the weather and also we provide satellites as a transmission link for the communications in airlines.
… We can now bring more [direct-to-home] services to people. In Vietnam, we have 19 million Internet users but our population is 84 million. It is OK if you are based in urban areas, but what can you do if you are in remote areas? For this, you need satellite. Only satellite can bring Internet to the remote areas. We think we can remove this black area of communications where people in remote areas have very little access to services. We can eliminate the digital divide between urban and rural areas of Vietnam.

Satellite News: Can satellite broadband have an impact in Vietnam?

Vinh: We have replaced our old network with a next-generation network based on an IP platform in order to provide multiple services, including broadband on our fixed network. In mobile, we are moving to 3G. Of course, from 2004 onwards we have already been providing VSAT IP services. We use the IPStar satellite to help provide broadband satellite services. This enables us to connect villages in Vietnam and enable them to have access to these services. Nowadays, villages not only require normal voice services, they want Internet and other broadband services, so satellite broadband is very important for Vietnam and for the remote areas. The demand for satellite broadband services will be very high in Vietnam. We also need other satellites to provide broadband.

Satellite News: Do you think you will need more capacity going forward?

Vinh: As you know, VinaSat-1 is a medium-sized satellite. We have the capacity of 20 transponders —12 Ku-band transponders and 8 C-band transponders. The total capacity is only about 120 TV channels. Nowadays, in Vietnam, we have a population of around 85 million, yet only 19 million people use the Internet. Now is the time for Vietnam to provide Internet services to more people and try to increase the numbers of people that can watch TV and have access to media. We think we can provide for the domestic as well as the regional market. We think other countries in the region also would like to use the capacity on our satellite to provide services for them. Our satellite has the coverage not only for Vietnam but for other countries in the region. I think the demand for capacity on satellite is very high, and it will soon fill up. The demand for satellite capacity is high due to Internet development as well as access to media services. We are sure that after 2010, we will need more capacity on the satellite.

Satellite News: Are you planning a VinaSat-2 satellite?

Vinh: We are preparing to plan for the VinaSat-2 satellite. After 2010, we will need another satellite with more capacity.

Satellite News: What role do you see VNPT and satellite technology playing on the media landscape in Vietnam?

Vinh: A good [information and communications technology] and telecoms infrastructure means we are creating favorable conditions for the media environment. We can help provide TV, electronics newspapers, Internet services, etc. We provide transmission and infrastructure for media services. We are the main infrastructure provider. We are the biggest provider in Vietnam, but we would also like to join with the regional network providers so we can connect to countries like Hong Kong, China, Cambodia, Thailand, etc. We don’t want to only protect our position in Vietnam but to also try to join with other network and service providers in the region to have media services linked throughout the region.