Mabuhay Satellite forges deal with HK-based firm

PLDT subsidiary Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corp. (MPSC) recently forged a deal to supply the bandwidth requirements of a Hong Kong-based company that is servicing the Indonesian market.

MPSC, owner and operator of the country’s first and only satellite Agila II, has just signed an agreement with a Hong Kong-based company to provide international long distance and Internet US backbone connectivity for the Indonesian market and neighboring countries within Agila II’s footprint.

The contract was entered into with Fastlink Network Technology Ltd. (FliNT) of Hong Kong for 18 megahertz or half a C-band transponder on Agila II to meet FliNT’s relatively large bandwidth requirement.

FliNT, a telecommunications network service provider for Indonesia together with Broadband Networks Asia (NAP) licenses in Indonesia, is providing international long distance and Internet backbone connectivity for Indonesian clients. The NAP license allows an Indonesian holder to communicate with a non-Indonesian satellite like Agila II to provide services in Indonesia.

MPSC marketing director Johnson Regalado said FliNT is lease is indicative of the value proposition of Agila II for the Indonesian NAP license holders who require instantaneous point to multipoint distribution medium to maximize their customer base.

A FliNT spokesperson, meanwhile, said the Indonesian market is no stranger to satellite technology to enhance communications between their main islands of Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.

"Mabuhay was the ideal choice because of its coverage over our customer base in Asia and Indonesia where we can sell access to US telecommunications networks including the US Internet backbone to Internet service providers (ISPs). In the case of Indonesia, Agila II allows us to instantaneously service ISPs on different islands under Agila II’s C-band footprint," the spokesperson explained.

MPSC owns and operates the Agila II satellite which is the country’s first and only satellite. Agila II has a vast coverage area including Asia and the IS (Hawaii). MPSC is a one-stop linking service worldwide connectivity through its strategic relationships with key US and Asian teleport operators and submarine fiber providers.

The company is also leading the way with service such as transponder leasing and bandwidth on demand, broadcast services, video uplink, playout and distribution, US Internet Protocol backbone access, and its new I-link IP service for corporate networks and ISPs in Asia, as well as other value-added and customized communications packages.