*********** 080794B.SAT *********** Countries: Pacific nations From: Item 1, 2: Nikkei Weekly Week of 8 August 1994 p. 3 Item 3: Japan Times 7 August 1994 p. 8 KEYWORDS: Communication Channels, International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Orbit allocations, Satellites +++++ Item 1: CURRENT RULES INADEQUATE TO REGULATE CONFLICTS Satellite gazers have discerned ill omens in the rapidly crowding skies of East Asia. As the region races to set up communication links in space, they see conflict emerging from the jostle for satellite slots. China's launch last month of a telecommunications satellite despite protests from Japan was seen as a particularly troubling development. The potential for conflict is exacerbated by the lack of international rules on allocating satellite orbits. China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore all have plans to launch a small cosmos of satellites over the next decade. Star wars Ignoring the protests of Japan, China on July 21 launched the Apstar 1 satellite using a Long March rocket. The satellite will be managed by APT Satellite, a Chinese telecommunications company based in Hong Kong. The satellite is now in geo-stationary orbit very close to the Japanese satellite Sakura No. 3a. The Japanese government is concerned that the Chinese satellite, which operates on the same frequency band, will interfere with Sakura, which is used by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. as a communications link with Japan's outlying islands. Having failed to convince the Chinese to change Apstar's orbit, Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is now pressing Beijing to switch to another frequency. Talks between the two governments are set to resume in November. "If possible, we want to solve the problem without making a big fuss about it," said an official at the ministry. The Chinese side has refused to comment on the issue. Some observers say the dispute could have been avoided by a simple change of frequency and reflects Beijing's inexperience in the negotiating protocol involved in sending up a satellite. But another satellite expert says that China's recalcitrance stems from the fact that any postponement in the launch date would have cost money. In the last few years, China has spent some 400 million yuan ($46.5 million) annually on developing its satellite industry. Beijing is keen to speed up the launch program in an effort to recover investment costs as quickly as possible. Tokyo's appeal was ignored because the Chinese wanted to avoid getting bogged down in protracted negotiations, knowing that U.S. and other foreign companies have already contracted to use the satellite, sources say. Also, China, is probably afraid of losing out to other countries in the race for the limited number of useful orbits (see next item). Earlier this year, China unveiled plans to launch 30 foreign-built satellites over the next seven years. If the July 21 launch had been delayed, it would have derailed the entire schedule. According to industry officials, China has already informed the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that it intends to launch 18 satellites. Satellites must maintain an orbit 36,000km above the equator in order to remain geo-stationary, and there are only a limited number of slots in which they can be placed. Lack of rules The ITU agreement, which mainly deals with transmission contracts and the like, does not deal with the question of frequency bands and position. Thus, there is no way of stopping countries from launching satellites that will adversely affect those already in orbit. The ITU is working on new regulations to address this problem. Basically, the rule will be that if it is tboughi that a new satellite could adversely affect existing satellites, adjustments are to be made among related parties before launching. If such adjustments are not possible, then the satellite should not be launched. There is skepticism, however, that the ITU will be able to enforce the new regulations. Much will continue to depend on the cooperation and goodwill of nations but the Chinese launch shows this could become strained as competition for satellite space heats up. In order to lessen dependence on satellites, Japan is among the countries looking at ways to make better use of terrestrial telecommunications and flber optics. For example, instead of relying on satellites, overseas TV broadcasts could be accessed through cable and distributed to homes the same way. Japan's Posts and Telecommunications Ministry is considering bringing forward its goal that every household be connected with Tiber optic cable by the year 2010. The drawback, particularly for developing countries, is that telecommunications infrastructure and cable television systems are very expensive and take a long time to set up. Satellites, by contrast, offer an instant communications base, says Yasuo Hirata, a director at Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co., Japan's dominant international telecommunications carrier. +++++ End Item 1 Item 2: CHAOS IN SPACE THREATENS ASIAN TELECOM FIRMS The ring of satellites that formed over Europe during the 1980s seem certain to be repeated over Asia in th 19908. According to Japan's Science an Technology Agency, about 140 satellites were in geo-stationary orbit as of September 1993. In terms of the number of frequency bands, there would appear to be plenty of room left for new satellites. But since transmission and information service are concentrated in a few regions of th globe, the problem of near-miss orbi is likely to come up again. Figures from Japan's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications show that, as of the end of last year, East Asian nations bave plans to set into orbit scores of satellites: 17 are planned for China, 16 for Japan, six for Singapore, three for Malaysia and two for South Korea. As things stand, it is a case of first in, first serve. To avoid this chaotic situation, there are suggestions that an international agreement be worked out to set the number of satellites each country is entitled to have in orbit. But negotiations have been hampered by the reluctance of advanced nations, who feel their interests are being challenged. Meanwhile, the space race continues. An Indonesian satellite-communications company said last week it planned to launch a $900 million mobile-satellite system in the Asia- Pacific region, The project, which also involves Singaporean and U.S. companier,, will require the launching of numerous satellites. +++++ End Item 2 Item 3: STUDY TO BEGIN ON SATELLITE SYSTEM FOR MOST OF ASIA JAKARTA (UPI-Kyodo) Companies from Indonesia, Singapore and the United States have agreed to begin a feasibflity study on the launching of a mobile geostationary satellite telecommunications system to serve major regions of Asia, officials said Saturday. The officials said the project, named Asian Mobile Satellite System, will allow any person with a hand-held device to directly communicate with another person carrying a similar device within the covered area. Communications will also be established with users of telephone networks and cel lar phones around the wo the officials said. Study of the $900 million project was scheduled for completion by the end of September. The system would cover an area from India to Indochina and from China to members of the Association of Socitheast Asian Nations, with a combined population of about 3 billion people, the official said. The agreement for the feasibility study was signed Friday by the representatives of PT Pasifik Satelite Nusantara, or PNS, of Indonesia, Technology Ventures of Singapore, the Singapore Tele- communications Ltd. and Hughes Communication Inc. of the United States; It was expected that the mobile-communications satellite system could be launched in 1998. Officials said this would be the world's second mobile geostationary satellite telecommunications system, after the United States launches the first such system in 1995. +++++ End Item 3 ************** END Msg. B.SAT **************