[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-30-11] Australian satellite company NewSat has signed a ten-year, $134 million Jabiru-1 Ka-band satellite capacity contract with Pakistani telecommunications provider 3A Technology, which will use the capacity deliver the services to its government and enterprise customers, NewSat announced Aug. 29.

   NewSat said that 3A Technology’s leased Jabiru-1 Ka-band satellite capacity will serve multiple regions within the Middle East, including Pakistan and Afghanistan and target customers such as Mobilink, Pak Datacom and the Government of Pakistan. The Ka-band capacity also aims to enable 3A Technology to capitalize on future demand for enterprise network expansions, banking and government sectors and growth of cellular backhaul requirements as telecommunication companies expand into rural areas and support the deployment of 3G/4G networks.

   “The region of Pakistan is amongst the most under serviced and fastest growing user of satellite technology in the world and is perfectly poised to take advantage of NewSat’s services to bolster internal infrastructure and external communications,” NewSat Founder and CEO Adrian Ballintine said in a statement. “3A Technology is one of the emerging and innovative telecommunication companies in Pakistan, with prominent customers providing mobile, broadband and network services throughout the region. They have seized the opportunity to secure high performance Ka-band capacity over this region that relies heavily on satellite to deliver communication services.”

   The 3A Technology deal follows NewSat’s $105 million lease contract signed with TrustComm earlier this month. The two contracts, totaling $239 million, will help NewSat move from being a reseller of satellite capacity to the owner of satellites, Ballantine said.