Asia-based mobile phone consortium forges tieup with Inmarsat

ACeS International Ltd. (ACeS), Asia’s main mobile phone satellite operator, and Inmarsat, the world’s leading operator, have announced wide-ranging collaboration arrangements expected to revolutionize the mobile satellite service (MSS) industry worldwide.

ACeS is owned by ACeS International Ltd., a consortium that includes Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) through its wholly- owned subsidiary Aces Philippines Cellular Satellite Corp. (APCSC), Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of Indonesia (PSN), Jasmine International Overseas Ltd. of Thailand, and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications of the US.

APCSC is being managed by Smart Communications, which markets under the Smart Link brand a prepaid satellite-based service that provides incoming and outgoing voice services in areas without landline and cellular access.

The collaboration will take ACeS (Asia Cellular Satellite), formerly a regional operator, to become global, with the combined coverage of ACeS‚ Garuda 1 satellite and the Inmarsat 4 series satellites.

ACeS hand-held satellite technology will form the platform for worldwide expansion using the Inmarsat and ACeS satellite systems. The companies will also leverage ACeS’ strong regional presence to introduce Inmarsat BGAN services through its distribution channels and increase focus on the maritime sector.

ACeS’ is supported by its strong national service providers in Indonesia (Pasifik Satelit Nusantara), Philippines (PLDT), and Thailand (ACeS Regional Service).

ACeS’ network operations will be supported and enhanced by Inmarsat technology, with the former’s technical expertise and experience becoming the cornerstone of the operations. ACeS will continue to grow its distribution of MSS products which will include Inmarsat’s BGAN services in Asia.

Inmarsat, on the other hand, will assume primary responsibility for network operations, wholesale service provision, as well as product and service development.

"We are delighted to be working with Inmarsat and welcome their collaboration. Their experience and innovation in the mobile satellite services and integrated with AceS’ capability will provide unprecedented breadth and reach of mobile satellite services in the Asia region and beyond. We look forward to a long and successful collaboration with Inmarsat," said Adi Adiwoso, ACeS chairman and CEO.

For his part, Inmarsat chairman and CEO Andrew Sukawaty noted that the collaboration with ACeS accelerates the former’s entry into the hand-held market "and begins to realize one of the growth opportunities that we have targeted."

"Working with the Inmarsat-4 satellites and network of distribution partners, we expect to roll out a global hand-held service during the next two years. This is an established, growing market that we are aggressively entering," he added.

Going forward, ACeS and Inmarsat will aggressively target the global hand-held customer base.

By modernizing the ACeS R190 handheld satellite phone to a fully-global hand-held and fixed voice services can be deployed within two years. Inmarsat will also set up an Indonesian subsidiary to help implement the project in Asia-Pacific. To enable a global service rollout and to ensure greater success for the BGAN service, Inmarsat plans to launch the third Inmarsat-4 satellite.

ACeS, an Asian satellite based communications company which was launched at the end of year 2000, has continuously expanded various services and roaming partnerships throughout the Asian region. Services offered by ACeS at present include digital voice and optional data services over either its fixed or mobile terminals.

ACeS is actively involved in developments to expand its product portfolio to include high-speed data services and location based services.