mu Space obtains Thai satellite licence
December 7, 2017
By Chris Forrester
Bangkok-based start-up mu Space has received a 15-year satellite licence (to 2032) from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, in order to start a satellite service notably to the country’s rural communities. The company says it will launch its satellite in 2021.
mu Space is already preparing for a service having committed to a satellite launch on the Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin system and its New Glenn rocket. mu Space was established earlier this year and says it will launch into space a high-throughput, low latency geosynchronous satellite – and also “space travel to private citizens”.
In September, mu Space signed an agreement to support the Thai government’s vision of building a Digital Park and a learning academy for Internet of Things. The facilities will be built on a 960,000 sqm land in Chonburi, located within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zone. The company has also leased teleport capacity with Thailand-based CAT Telecom.
Speaking on behalf of mu Space, CTO Samathorn Teankingkaeo said his team plans to differentiate mu Space from the others by providing satellite services that are affordable and easy to install. His team also promises fast customer support and wide coverage, including in rural communities.
“Rural communities are mostly thinly populated and far from big cities. That’s why only a few companies go there to build telecom infrastructures. To overcome these challenges and provide rural communities with broadband, using a satellite is the best alternative,” said Samathorn.
The EEC zone will accommodate investments in 10 target industries: next-generation cars, smart electronics, medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, food innovation, robotics, logistics and aviation, biofuels and biochemicals, digital economy, and medical services. The economic zone is projected to generate new investment of up to $46 billion within five years from both the government and private sectors.
With the space industry worldwide predicted to be worth $2.7 trillion in the next 30 years, mu Space is joining the space race with the launch of its own satellite in 2021. The company also plans to offer space tourism to customers in Asia within the next decade.