Malaysia’s Binariang Satellite Systems and Boeing Satellite Systems, a unit of Boeing [NYSE: BA], have signed a contract for the procurement of a high-power commercial communications satellite.

The new Boeing 601HP satellite, designated MEASAT-3, will join the existing Boeing-built MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 spacecraft in the Malaysia-East Asia Satellite (MEASAT) system. MEASAT-3 will be co-located with MEASAT-1 at 91.5 degrees East Longitude and will provide expansion and back-up capacity for Binariang to meet the increasing market demand for satellite services within the region. Boeing will also provide an upgrade to the MEASAT ground facilities on Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia, training and launch support services.

Scheduled for launch in 2005, MEASAT-3 will employ 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders, each providing 36 MHz of bandwidth over a 15-year minimum service life. MEASAT-3 C- band payload will cover Africa, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The Ku-band payload has been designed to provide high-powered flexible service options for the development of data services and direct-to-home applications in China, India and Malaysia