[Satellite TODAY 12-16-11] Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. (AsiaSat) and Thaicom have signed a cooperation agreement to provide satellite services from the 120 degrees East orbital location, the operators announced Dec. 15.

   The two companies said the partnership would work to place an interim satellite at the 120 degrees East orbital slot, while the operators wait for a new satellite that is contracted with Space Systems/Loral and scheduled for launch in early 2014.

   AsiaSat and Thaicom will provide services on their portions of the new satellite under the name AsiaSat 6 and Thaicom 7. This cooperation will preserve the 120 degrees East orbital slot for Thailand and will provide additional broadcast, telecommunications and broadband services across the Asia-Pacific region. The AsiaSat 6/Thaicom 7 spacecraft will feature 28 high-power C-band transponders serving Asia and Australia.

   “We are pleased to establish this new partnership with AsiaSat to cooperate on a satellite project that will preserve the orbital slot for Thailand at 120 degrees East, and fulfill the fast growing demand for quality satellite capacity from customers in our country and across the region,” Thaicom CEO Suphajee Suthumpun said in a statement.