February 14, 2007	Wednesday	Muharram 25, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: Paksat International, Pakistan's national communication satellite, had leased out a bulk of its services to a British network, officials said here on Tuesday.

"Paksat International has successfully concluded an agreement with Skyvision/Primera Networks of the UK for the lease of multiple C-band transponders, said Usman Bajwa, CEO of Paksat-1 International", in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

The satellite capacity will be utilized for providing internet, IP and data connectivity services across Africa and the Middle East.

"This is a landmark agreement for Paksat, and signifies the attractive value proposition Paksat-I offers for service providers and enterprises looking for satellite connectivity in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and Southern Europe" said Bajwa.

Paksat-I which operates at an orbital location of 38 degrees East, offers C and Ku coverage in over the 75 countries across Europe, Africa, Middle East, South and Central Asia.

The satellite is currently serving a number of local and international customers, including TV broadcasters, telecom companies, data and broadband internet service providers as well as government organizations.

Bajwa said the contract with the British networks for the lease of up to six extended C-band transponders on Paksat-1 would be for a period of three years but it would help fetch more such deals in future.

“We believe this is an important landmark for Paksat not merely in terms of its commercial viability, but also as a means to penetrate other international markets,” he added.