PARIS — The government of Bangladesh signed a three-year, $10 million contract March 29 with a U.S. consulting company to manage the nation’s acquisition of its first telecommunications satellite, with a scheduled launch in 2015, the consulting company announced.
The company, Space Partnership International of Bethesda, Md., will advise the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on the acquisition of Bangabandhu-1.
Bangladesh has been talking about having its own telecommunications satellite for several years. The nation in 2008 reserved a slot at 102 degrees east, and under international regulatory rules must place a satellite there.
It was not immediately clear whether the frequency coordination necessary to permit Bangabandhu-1 to operate had been secured.
“The Bangabandhu satellite system represents an opportunity to provide advanced communications and broadcasting access … to the citizens of Bangladesh, and the region, in a cost-effective manner,” retired Maj. Gen. Zia Ahmed, BTRC chairman, said in a March 29 statement. “The satellite will be a revenue source for Bangladesh, from use by other nations in the region.”
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