Thaicom strengthens fleet with THAICOM-9
March 6, 2024
Thaicom Public Company Limited (Thaicom), an Asian satellite and space tech company, has announced the selection of Astranis, a satellite manufacturer and operator, to provide THAICOM-9, the newest addition to Thaicom’s fleet of high-throughput satellites at 119.5 degrees East.
Thaicom’s subsidiary, Space Tech Innovation Limited (STI) and Astranis have signed an agreement for an Astranis MicroGEO satellite to provide Ka-band services over Asia, with an option for expanded coverage through future satellites. THAICOM-9 will deliver a significant confidence boost to Thaicom’s valued customers and partners across the region. The satellite will be launched in 2025.
THAICOM-9 will provide Thaicom with next-generation operating capabilities. The satellite is equipped with high-performance software-defined radio, that can change coverage and bandwidth allocation on orbit to serve multiple geographies while also allowing it to dynamically change frequencies, power levels, and other operational variables on the fly.
Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Thaicom’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “I am delighted that we have secured this satellite solution from Astranis, a pioneering and fast-emerging global satellite provider from the USA. THAICOM-9 will ensure continuity of service for our customers and capture the immediate demand in our key markets as well as enabling the innovation and development of a wide range of products and services to broaden market opportunities in the region. This satellite will support Thaicom’s long-term success in our core satellite business and continue our journey to be a leading space tech company in the region.”
John Gedmark, CEO and Co-founder of Astranis, added: “This is a major step forward for both Thaicom and Astranis. For Thaicom, their adoption of a MicroGEO satellite signals a continued commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in geostationary orbit. Astranis will deploy more geostationary satellites than the rest of the industry combined over the next three years, and to have Thaicom deliver this vote of confidence in Astranis’s technical and operational maturity should signal to other customers that the next generation of satellite technology in GEO is already here, today.”