Latest News

AsiaSat Beats Economic Odds

By Staff Writer | August 19, 2004

      Despite softness in the Asia marketplace right now, AsiaSat saw its revenues increase in the first half of 2004, reaching $70.6 million, a 21-percent increase compared with last year. This spike includes a one-off, lump-sum receipt of $15.77 million for early termination of a transponder-utilization agreement.

      In terms of the performance of its new AsiaSat 4 satellite, which was launched in April 2003, the orbiter demonstrated an overall utilization of 18 percent at the end of June. At the end of 2003, that figure had been predicted at 10 percent. One of the operator’s priorities will be to sell capacity on this new satellite.

      The total number of transponders leased and sold on AsiaSat’s satellites at the end of June was 55, an increase of 12 percent compared with the previous six months in terms of capacity.

      Operating conditions remain difficult in Asia, although AsiaSat believes it is performing well. However, it admits that the transponder market remains sluggish and that “there is little room for optimism for the remainder of this year.”