ProtoStar and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and PLDT's subsidiary, Mabuhay Satellite Corporation (Mabuhay), have announced the signing of several agreements covering multiple areas of cooperation.
Key aspects of the agreements include: an exchange of certain Mabuhay assets for an equity position in ProtoStar; expanded use of Mabuhay's Subic Space Center for the operation and control of satellites; an option for PLDT to make further investments in ProtoStar; and an agreement for PLDT to lease C-band transponder capacity on ProtoStar's recently-launched ProtoStar I satellite.
Overall, the agreements should enhance ProtoStar's pan-Asian reach while extending Mabuhay's presence in the region.
ProtoStar I was successfully launched on July 7, 2008, from Kourou, French Guiana. ProtoStar I has onboard 22 Ku-band transponders and 38 C-band transponders (all 36-Mhz equivalents). The Ku-band transponders will support the rapidly-expanding Direct-to-Home (DTH) television markets of India and IndoChina, while the C-band transponders will serve the rapidly-growing cellular phone markets of Southeast Asia.
A ProtoStar II satellite is now in the final stages of manufacturing with a scheduled launch in the spring of 2009. ProtoStar plans to develop and launch several other satellites in the coming years to serve Asia's businesses requiring transponder capacity.
PLDT Chairman Manual V. Pangilinan stated that "PLDT's investment in ProtoStar affirms PLDT's commitment to the telecommunications industry and provides a platform for future growth in the industry through one of Asia's upcoming regional satellite operators."
PLDT President and CEO and Mabuhay Chairman Napoleon L. Nazareno added that "PLDT and Mabuhay's collaboration with ProtoStar will enable PLDT to enjoy full diversity and protection for its satellite needs as ProtoStar continues with its satellite fleet expansion plans.
The PLDT group uses significant satellite capacity for its GSM backhaul requirements for its rural cell
sites, and this diversification will add to the robustness of the PLDT Group's network."
Philip Father, President and CEO of ProtoStar Ltd., added that "this collaboration represents a win-win-win for PLDT, Mabuhay and ProtoStar in that together we expand our satellite fleets and customer base as well as our ground systems in a value-adding strategic manner that is terrific for our respective customers and shareholders."
