Vietnam plans to launch its first telecommunications satellite in 2008, the Viet Nam News Agency said Wednesday.
Viet Nam Post and Telematic Corp. last week signed a contract with Telesat Canada for consulting on the purchase of the Vinasat satellite, which has drawn bidding interest from Lockheed Martin, Sumitomo and the EADS consortium of Europe.
The Vietnamese government approved the Vinasat project in 2005 as a means of expanding television coverage in the countryside and saving millions of dollars in fees to bring in international channels.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
