REPORT OF THE
NINTH MEETING OF THE REGIONAL WORKING GROUP ON SATELLITE COMMUNICATION APPLICATIONS

Bangkok, Thailand, 11-13 October 2004

I. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The ninth meeting of the Regional Working Group on Satellite Communication Applications (RWG/SatCom) noted with satisfaction that recent years had witnessed considerable progress in improving connectivity, as well as the delivery of information applications and services, in the region, with considerable beneficial support from satellite communications. However, along with the rapid development and growth of applications of other connecting methods, there is a need for satellite communication operators, service providers and users to develop partnerships and new business models to better exert the advantage of satellite communications, and to absorb the temporary overcapacity situation. In addition, the potential for decreases in cost of satcom bandwidth and terminals, the near-future implementation of higher-capacity broadband, and interest in developing public-private partnerships for satcom capabilities and services, offer hope of further progress in bridging the digital divide, poverty alleviation, and improved quality of life.

2. The meeting noted that satellite broadband would be a major contributor to bridging the digital divide. The key point is the need to prepare the region for satcom broadband products and services, and the need for development and establishment of public-private partnerships at different levels to share the benefits of all stakeholders in making such products and services affordable, accessible, and usable - and thus sustainable. The meeting agreed that community e-centres would be one of the major contributory fields of satellite broadband services in bridging the digital divide, since it could help share the costs of Internet accounts across more users, thus making such access more affordable and sustainable for communities. The meeting also noticed that recent development in satellite-based mobile trunking services would make mobile services more accessible and affordable to many users.

3. The meeting expressed its satisfaction that the ESCAP secretariat had identified satellite communications as one of its major contributory areas in promoting the development and application of information, communication and space technology in the Asia-Pacific region. The meeting also appreciated the continued support of the secretariat for the activities of the RWG by promoting regional cooperation and information-sharing, particularly in promoting the preparation of the region for satellite broadband applications and services.

4. The meeting noted with appreciation the increased participation from the private sector, as well as participation from many new countries and organizations. It hoped that such new participants could help guide the Regional Working Group towards increasingly beneficial activities, particularly to contribute to the efforts of the RWG in development of public-private partnerships. The meeting appreciated the offers of cooperation by Intelsat, Iridium, Mabuhay Satellite, Shin Satellite, and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), towards realizing such partnerships.

5. The meeting noted with great interest the examples of public-private partnerships in Thailand presented by the Distance Learning Foundation (DLF) and the Shin Satellite Corporation in satellite communication applications and services that supported distance learning in primary and secondary schools, and supporting the implementation of Universal Service Obligations.

6. The meeting appreciated the efforts of the secretariat in preparation for a survey of satellite broadband resources, as suggested by last year's RWG meeting. The meeting agreed that the survey would make relevant information more available to decision makers on ICT applications, particularly to those responsible for priority ICT application programmes. The meeting further recommended that the proposed survey be conducted as the first step towards preparing the region for satellite broadband applications and services, and contributing to development of public-private partnership in the field. In this connection, the meeting encouraged the participants of the meeting to provide comments to the secretariat by 26 October 2004 to improve the draft survey.

7. The meeting recommended that the proposal by Intelsat for the participation of Asian and Pacific countries in a field trial of a proposed deployable disaster response communication system be encouraged. Considering the potential contribution of satellite communications in ensuring emergency communications for disaster management, it recommended that Intelsat provide additional details of requested involvements by potential cooperating countries, and about likely costs for using such a system if successfully tested and deployed.

8. The meeting recommended that ESCAP further explore the opportunity with relevant funding agencies for regional cooperation projects on satellite broadband based community e-centres, for countries in subregions such as the Greater Mekong Subregion. The relevant countries present at the meeting all supported the idea, and agreed to pursue the idea further. The meeting appreciated the offer of Shin Satellite to support the proposed project.

9. The meeting noted the wide range of activities on satellite communication applications of the Indian Space Research Organization, including its launch and application of a dedicated Edusat. It noted the plan of China for the development of communication satellites and their applications. It noted the development of advanced satellite communication technologies and their applications in the Republic of Korea . It also noted the launch of communications satellite Paksat-1 and efforts to build a user community by Pakistan . The meeting appreciated the offer of cooperation by ISRO, and noted with satisfaction that a meeting on telemedicine was anticipated for 2005 in India.

10. The meeting recommended that the agenda for the next meeting of the RWG could include joining forces with the anticipated Expert Group Meeting on broadband satcom-enriched e-centres, and possibly with a special session on distance learning.

II. PROCEEDINGS

A. Organization of the meeting

11. The ninth meeting of the Regional Working Group on Satellite Communication Applications was held at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok , Thailand , on 11-13 October 2004. The meeting was organized and hosted by ESCAP as a pre-session to the first meeting of the Subcommittee on Information, Communication and Space Technology.

B. Attendance

12. Twenty-three participants and observers attended the meeting from the following member countries: Cambodia , China , India , Kazakhstan , Lao People's Democratic Republic, Pakistan , Philippines , Republic of Korea , Thailand , and Viet Nam . Observers from the Distance Learning Foundation ( Thailand ), Intelsat ( Singapore ), Iridium Satellite ( Singapore ), Mabuhay Satellite ( Philippines ), Shin Satellite ( Thailand ), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification ( Thailand ) also attended. The ESCAP secretariat serviced the meeting. A list of participants is attached as an annex.

C. Opening

13. The meeting was opened on 11 October 2003. The Executive Secretary of ESCAP, in his combined message to the four pre-session meetings to the first session of the Subcommittee on Information, Communication and Space Technology presented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, pointed out that space technology applications and its products and services are well recognized for their contributions to combating poverty and for bringing connectivity and benefits (such as distance learning and medicine) to the region. While many areas will be connected by terrestrial Internet and mobile telephony, other areas will be connected by satellite technology. He noted that the meeting would explore how to prepare the region for forthcoming satellite broadband services and applications, and would explore public-private partnerships toward this end.

14. Colonel Nalikatibhag Sangsnit , Vice Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Government of Thailand, welcomed the participants to Bangkok . He summarized Thailand 's activities in information, communication and space technology (ICST), and offered to share its experience to help improve regional cooperation and the benefits from such technologies. He encouraged members to strengthen partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

D. Election of officers

15. The meeting elected the following persons as members of its Bureau:

Mr Yang Qianli ( China ), Chairperson;
Mr N. Neelakantan ( India ), Vice-Chairperson;
Mr Gabriel Z. Pimentel ( Philippines ), Rapporteur.

E. Adoption of the agenda

16. The Regional Working Group on Satellite Communication Applications adopted the following agenda:

F. Report on the work of the Regional Working Group over the preceding year

1. Report of the Coordination Office

17. The Coordinator (Mr Yang Qianli) summarized the work of the Coordination Office of the Regional Working Group over the previous year, in light of the recommendations of the eighth meeting of the RWG and the Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific.

18. The Coordination Office noted that current satellite trends were moving towards larger capacity, with C-band communications for parties more concerned with reliability in rainy climates than with bandwidth, and with Ku-band for those more interested in bandwidth. He reported research analyses suggesting that most of the near-future demand growth for satcom is likely to come from residential uses, with small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) needs being a distant second, followed by small office - home office ( SOHO ) and large business demands at about the same level over about the next decade.

19. 2004-2005 marks a year in which at least two roll-outs of broadband satellite connectivity are anticipated. VSAT costs are anticipated to drop yet again. There are estimated to be over one million satellite terminals and Earth stations operating throughout the world. Direct broadcast and multimedia are getting attention from system developers. WiFi connectivity on commercial aircraft, connected by satellite communication systems, is beginning with several airlines. Meetings abound in the region, pointing to the popularity of the subject of satcom. Meanwhile, an increasingly rich supply of satellite capacity is parked above the region.

20. However, the digital divide continues to exist. It cannot be bridged solely by fully commercialized operations, or solely by government. So it should be the two combined into public-private partnerships.

2. Regional Report of the ESCAP secretariat

21. The ESCAP secretariat presented a report highlighting the main activities and achievements attained at the regional level in the past year. The ESCAP secretariat organized and serviced the meetings of the four Regional Working Groups and the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee under the regional cooperation network on space technology applications, and was conducting projects with financial and in-kind support from China, France and the Republic of Korea; it continued regional information services through its publications and web site; it held two meetings on subjects related to satellite communications and other space technology applications for disaster management; it held a side event on space technology supporting disaster management at the 60 th Commission of ESCAP, in Shanghai; and it provided 32 fellowships to support the training and education activities hosted by China, India and Indonesia on a technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) basis.

3. Country reports by the national contact points

22. The meeting noted that considerable progress had been attained at the national level, as summarized below by the national contact points or representatives of participating countries.

23. Cambodia still regulates telecommunication services through sole governmental ownership of facilities. Regulation is highly centralized and coordinated through the Cabinet for approval of principal recommendations regarding telecommunication policy. The Government has increased the opportunities for private sector participation in construction and operation of telecommunication facilities in the form of joint ventures or business cooperation contract (BCC).

24. Telephone density in Cambodia is 0.27 for fixed lines and 2.39 for mobile telephones; in Phnom Penh , teledensity is 23.36. There are four ISPs in Cambodia : one owned by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication of Cambodia (MPTC) and the others by companies. All ISPs possess leased lines for access to international networks at 512 Kbps and 1 Mbps. There are about 10,000 subscribers and 50 Internet cafés opened in Phnom Penh and some major cities. Fibre-optic cabling is ongoing in the country, with more cabling in the planning stages. A VSAT hub station is also planned.

25. There are three major challenges: (a) currently, growth in popularity of the Internet has been causing congestion of telephone lines, resulting in the need for greater telecommunication capacity; (b) standards are lacking, which has caused problems for cooperative development projects, and (c) there is currently a shortage of skilled personnel in telecommunications, which is hampering development efforts.

26. There are over 100 satcom transponders in use for satellite communications and broadcasting. There are over 80 private satcom networks, which include services such as public telecoms, broadcasting, finance, meteorology, securities, transportation, education, science and technology, petroleum and gas, water conservation, civil aviation, electric power, health, news and media, police and defence, and others. There are over 30,000 VSAT terminals, 40 channels of television via satellite, 80 channels of audio programming by satellite, 400,000 television receive-only (TVRO), with 95% of the country's population covered by satellite communications.

27. Markets include television direct broadcasting, information broadcasting, distance learning, Internet access, intranet applications, news gathering, remote control and monitoring, and emergency and field communications. Technology contributions to the region include DFH-4 and more powerful buses, Long March series launchers, large networks of satellite communication and broadcasting coverage (both domestic and regional), international cooperation (such as the China-Brazil Earth observation satellite, Alcatel cooperation with ChinaSat-9, and small and nano-satellite technology), rich resources in technology, culture, talent, and media.

28. Distance education services have been in use since 1985, and 50 million people have benefited from such services. Tele-health education networking is a two-way distance learning system built by the Ministry of Health, in order to solve urgent needs for continuing education for nearly six million health technicians in the country. Nearly 10,000 education pilot stations will be established to directly receive educational programming via satellite. In 2002, a pilot with more than 500 remote stations was established in four provinces, with additional build-out planned throughout the country. It is anticipated that, within 5-10 years, about 90% of middle and high schools in China should be connected to the Internet, with satcom playing an important role in remote areas.

29.Challenges include:

30. Goals for 2010 include:

31. India has a wide range of activities in space technology and applications, led by the Indian Space Research Organization. These can be divided into launch vehicles, geostationary satellites, and the Indian Remote Sensing satellite series. There has been a steady growth in satellite communication transponders, using C and Ku bands. There has also been a steady increase in specialization of geostationary satellites, to the point of having dedicated communication, meteorological and applications-specific satellites, such as the education-oriented Edusat launched in September 2004. It was noted that, though fibre-optic cabling is being extended, demand for communication satellites remains strong. Direct-to-home services are anticipated to begin soon, on Ku band.

32. A separate presentation on satellite-based distance education was presented.

33. Currently Lao PDR is using the Intelsat satellite for international telecommunication and Internet services; it can directly link to Australia , Japan , and Hong Kong , China and serve as a transit to other countries. VSAT is being used by ISPs for Internet communication, and it is used for domestic television broadcasting by the Thaicom satellite.

34. Lao PDR began its own satellite communication project in 1995. The LaoStar Satellite Project was covering 15 Asian countries divided into three beams. Because of the "dot com" crisis in 1999, however, LaoStar satellite could not be put into orbit as scheduled. At the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference, it was agreed that this project could be extended three more years. A new investor has been found, and plans are for LaoStar to be launched by the end of 2006.

35. Pakistan's first communication satellite, Paksat-1, was placed in orbit at 38° East on 17 December 2002, providing services for governmental use, and it is ready for commercial operations after comprehensive in-orbit testing, ground coverage survey, functionality testing and beam alignment. This satellite has 34 transponders, including 30 in C band with a total bandwidth of 1,080 MHz, and four Ku-band transponders with a total bandwidth of 288 MHz. It has been decided to use a significant portion for human resources development and welfare through tele-education and telemedicine applications. Current users and uses include "virtual university", the Internet, telemedicine, Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd. connectivity, television uplinks, business, and casual services.

36. The Higher Education Commission has asked for bandwidth for four additional television uplinks for the virtual university and other distance learning programmes. In addition to this, several projects are currently being discussed by the Ministry of Education for teacher training and the spreading of literacy at the grass-roots level. These will be core targets for the distance learning programmes.

37. Paksat-1 is ready for commercial operations and is seeking local and international markets for C- and Ku-band transponder rentals. A new initiative of the Higher Education Commission would also allow live lectures from top institutions in the West to be broadcast through Paksat-1 and be accessible to students and faculty members in different universities in the country.

38. Pakistan is doing advance planning to launch a series of similar satellites, including Paksat-1R, Paksat-2R, Paksat-FR, Paksat-DR and Paksat-ER, each with 34 transponders for education purposes, in the year 2006 and onwards to use distance learning for education/training and telemedicine, by integration of space applications with the information superhighway to support national efforts towards sustainable development planning, poverty alleviation, disaster reduction, and bridging the digital divide.

39. The satellite industry : In line with the policy of the Government of the Philippines , the satellite industry has been private-sector driven on both the space segment and ground segment side.

40. Space segment : The first and only Philippine satellite operator is Mabuhay Satellite, which owns and operates the Agila-2 satellite launched in August 1997 from China and stationed at 146° East (an Indonesian orbital slot). The satellite has 24 std-C-band, six ext-C-band, and 18 usable Ku-band transponders (in addition, six Ku-band transponders are coordinated OFF). Satellite access is, however, open and competitive; other Philippine users currently also access Intelsat, PanAmSat, Measat and others. For this reason, Mabuhay needs to compete for its share of the market at what are now very low market rates for the space segment. In spite of this, Mabuhay has achieved 85% utilization on its C-band transponders. The challenge, however, is in Ku-band utilization which remains at below 50%. The use of Ku band has largely been for one DTH customer, which has difficulty growing because of the many cable networks in the country. Mabuhay, however, presently has many pilot trials to demonstrate to end-users that Ku band is viable for VSAT and other two-services, even in the high-rainfall region of the Philippines . The Agila-2 satellite footprints are available on the web site; http://www.mabuhaysat.com .

41. Ground segment : Nine private entities are licensed to provide VSAT services; however, only six remain operational, as market forces push for consolidation of the service providers. Mabuhaysat has also embarked on other initiatives in an attempt to improve satellite utilization. These areas include distance learning, in which Mabuhay has a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) for development of a viable distance learning initiative. Also, recently, the greatest driver for demand has been use of the satellite by mobile operators to connect remote GSM cell sites to their base station controllers. As mobile operators improve the coverage of their GSM networks to the fourth- and fifth-class municipalities, most of these areas can be reached initially by SCPC satellite circuits. This demand, however, is temporary as it is foreseen that eventually the mobile operators will extend their fibre and microwave backbones to cover these areas. Nonetheless, satellite-based cell site connectivity is acting as an enabler for mobile operators to test the demand for the service.

42. The country's first satellites (Koreasat-1 and 2) were launched in 1995. Koreasat-3, providing direct broadcast service and high-speed multimedia service, was launched in 1999. Koreasat-5 is in development for launch in mid-2006. DBS trial service through Koreasat-1 and 2 was started in 1996. The Korean company Skylife started commercial DBS service in 2002. Over 150 broadcasting channels are provided by Skylife through Koreasat-3.

43. The Korea-Japan Digital Multimedia Broadcasting satellite was launched in March 2004. The world's first DMB services are anticipated from SK Telecom in late 2004, with 39 channels of video, audio and data service. The Korea Telecom DMB satellite is planned for launch in 2006, with 22 video, 25 audio and eight data channels for mobile and portable reception.

44. Satellite Internet access technology based on the DVB-RCS standard is now in service. Television receive-only is also in service for intra-broadcasting networks and for programme distribution by a local broadcasting company. Satellite news gathering is also in service for a mobile broadcaster.

45. The Government of the Republic of Korea has a plan to serve multimedia contents to home users, up to 20 Mbps, and up to 2 Mbps for mobile terminal users, including satellite networking, by 2006. There is a trend for satellite communications to serve mobile services, rather than fixed services as in the past. Telecommunication institutes and industries in the country plan to develop an ultra-wideband two-way mobile satellite access system.

46. The Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), planned for a 2008 launch under a public-private partnership, is a hybrid design with onboard multi-beam signal switching to cover the Korean peninsula and neighbouring China . The Government is looking for international partners for experimentation with high-speed Internet and multimedia service using the COMS payload.

47. Satellite communications : At present, Viet Nam is using Intelsat and Intersputnik satellites for supplying international telecommunication services and VSAT for domestic telecommunications services. It uses satellites at the following locations:

48. VSAT : VNPT (the dominant telecommunications operator) is using Asiasat to supply VSAT services. There are about 100 customers, of whom 70 customers use VSAT-4 channels, and 30 use VSAT-1 channels

49. Television : VTV (Vietnam Television) is using MEASAT for broadcasting.

50. The Government of Viet Nam has a plan to launch a satellite in the next two to three years.

G. Preparing the region for satellite broadband services and applications: strategies for fostering public-private partnership

51. The meeting reviewed the working paper on this subject. It agreed that there is a need to prepare the region for broadband satcom-enhanced products and services that meet national priority needs. There is a need to form public-private partnerships to make such products and services more affordable, accessible, and usable - and thus sustainable. E-centres appear timely, in order to take the somewhat high (in many developing countries) costs of individual Internet accounts, and make such accounts usable by more people - and thus more sustainably affordable for communities.

52. The meeting agreed that a survey should be conducted, and agreed to have editorial and other comments delivered to the ESCAP secretariat by 26 October.

53. The Distance Learning Foundation made a presentation on the Wang Klaikangwon School , Hua Hin model of Distance Education via Satellite Broadcast and Flexible Learning. The Foundation provided an overall history and an update on the transmission of the full cycle of education (primary, secondary, vocational and university education) via satellite broadcast from Wang Klaikangwon School, His Majesty the King's private school, and from the Wang Klaikangwon Vocational College and Rajamangala University, Wang Klaikangwon campus, full time (24 hours a day) on 14 channels. Public partnership has contributed to the sustainability of the project, over the life of the project since its inception in 1995. At present, all 3,140 secondary schools, plus about 5,000 (out of about 35,000 total) primary schools are currently connected. Additional primary schools are planned for connection as budget permits. Coverage carries over into neighbouring countries.

54. The technology convergence of satellite tele-education broadcasts with the Internet was highlighted. Internet users anywhere can access the Foundation's web site at; www.dlf.ac.th ; and watch live broadcasts on the 14 channels, plus 7,000 on-demand programmes, including the King's "Quest for Knowledge" programme. The e-learning services, such as the DLF School for Thai Living Overseas, Overseas Learners, and e-training, are examples of collaboration with partners at home and abroad. The distance learning via satellite broadcast and the e-learning services are free of charge.

H. Opportunities for regional cooperation

55. Intelsat outlined a proposed cooperative effort with RWG members for field testing a proposed deployable satcom-enhanced disaster response communication system. The proposed system would include a deployable satellite dish to temporarily provide emergency disaster response connectivity, a system for recovering GSM-based mobile telephony, a WiFi computer network, and other capabilities for emergency communications, to be used in an area affected by a natural or other disaster. The meeting agreed that there was considerable potential in the proposed idea, but that estimates for operational (post field-test) costs for such a system could be more detailed, as could be Intelsat's ideas for types and levels of participation by countries. The meeting encouraged Intelsat to pursue its idea, and provide such information for members to take back to their countries for statements of interest.

56. India presented a description of telemedicine services now operating on a pilot project basis covering outlying areas, such as island districts of the country. It noted that the coverage of Indian communication satellites encompassed much of the region, and could be used to develop cooperative efforts. In the discussion that followed, it was noted that an additional possibility might be to share available expertise in other countries, so that an international pool of consultants might be formulated. This had been noted off-line by another ISRO official at a previous ESCAP meeting. The Chief of the Space Technology Applications Section, ICSTD, in ESCAP, noted that a meeting on telemedicine was anticipated to be held in India in 2005, with opportunities to pursue cooperation in this field.

57. Kazakhstan pointed to its long history and capabilities in space launches, and its recent cooperation between Kazakhstan , Belarus , Ukraine and the Russian Federation in cooperative space vehicle launching. It offered to share its capabilities with others in the region. The meeting noted its appreciation of this offer, with members noting that they would remember that offer.

58. The Chief of STAS noted that a project was in discussion with the Asian Development Bank for pursuing improved e-centres in the Greater Mekong Subregion, with an eye towards making the space-enhancing features more sustainable. The GMS countries participating in the meeting noted their interest in pursuing this idea and agreed to work with ESCAP towards realizing it.

59. Shin Satellite made a presentation, updating the meeting on its current launch plans, capabilities, service area, and pricing of the planned IPStar. Current estimates are for terminals costing about US$1000 (for the entire terminal system). As an example, estimated pricing in Thailand was offered: about US$75/month for 400-Kbps download speeds and 128-Kbps upload speeds, with fair-use policies limiting total download amounts, but with terminal rental fees included in this price. Prices were anticipated to drop to about US$50/month after launch, with terminal rental included in this price. Terminals are designed externally, but will be built in Thailand , with anticipated capacity of 1 Mbps for the inexpensive terminals. The company also briefed the meeting on the public-private partnership for delivery of Universal Service Obligations services through the to-be-launched satellite. The meeting appreciated the offer of Shin Satellite to support the proposed project.

60. Both the Distance Learning Foundation and Shin Satellite encouraged cooperative partnerships and, indeed, are themselves cooperating in the work of DLF.

I. Tentative work plan for 2005-2005

60. The tentative work plan for 2004, which had been approved by the ICC at its ninth session in Beijing in October 2003, and the proposed work plan for 2005 were presented to the RWG. The meeting suggested that a meeting to discuss the results of the survey, and/or on improved perspectives for public-private partnerships for broadband satcom services and applications, be combined with the RWG meeting for 2005.

J. Venue and provisional agenda of the tenth meeting of the Regional Working Group

61. Members of the RWG suggested that the next meeting be held next year in Bangkok , perhaps in conjunction with the planned Expert Group Meeting on broadband satellite e-centres, and perhaps with a special session on distance learning.

62. The provisional agenda of the ninth meeting should focus on implementation of substantive project activities, and be developed through consultation between the ESCAP secretariat, the Coordination Office of the RWG, and the host organization.

K. Other matters

62. No other matters were raised.

L. Adoption of the report

62. The report was adopted on 13 October 2004.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

CAMBODIA

Mr Ou Meang, Manager, Satellite Earth Station, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Bayon Satellite Earth Station, No. 73 Eo Monivong Blvd. , Phnom Penh . Tel.: +855-12-916323, fax: +855-23-427998, email: ses-mptc@camnet.com.kh

CHINA

Mr Yang Qianli, Academic Committee, China Institute of Communications (CIC), 26 East Road of Jiancaucheng, Xisanqi, Haidian District, Beijing 100096. Tel.: +86-10-6681-3377, fax: +86-10-6827-8365, email: yql@public.gb.com.cn

Mr Wang Keran, Division Director, Department of Foreign Affairs, China National Space Administration (CNSA), 2104 #, A8, Fucheng Road, Plaindian District, Beijing

INDIA

Mr Narayanaswamy Neelakantan, Project Director, EDUSAT, Indian Space Research Organization, Satellite Centre, Airport Road , Bangalore - 560 017. Tel.: +91-80-2508-2634, fax: +91-80-2520-5250, email: neel@isac.ernet.in , or neelakantan_n@hotmail.com

Ms Anandi Venkateswaran, Attache and Assistant Permanent Representative to ESCAP, Embassy of India , 46, Soi 23 Sukhumvit (Prasarnmitr), Bangkok 10110. Tel.: +662-259-4998, +662-258-0300 (to 06), fax: +662-258-4627, +662-262-1970, email: indiaemb@mozart.inet.co.th

KAZAKHSTAN

H.E. Mr Saken Seidualiyev, Charge d'Affaires a.i. and Permanent Representative to ESCAP, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Suite 4301, 43 rd Floor, Jewellery Trade Centre Building, 919/501 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Tel.: +662-234-6365 (to 66), fax: +662-2346368

Mr Victor Lefter, President, Republic Centre of Space Communication Connection and Electromagnetic Compatibility of Radioelectronic Units, Transport Tower , Office 3107, Astana. Tel.: +73172-757728, fax: +73172-240688, email: Lvd_rcks@mail.ru

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Mr Somlith Phouthonesy, Deputy Director General, Department of Post and Telecommunication, Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction, Jawaharlal Nehru Str., 0100 Vientiane. Tel.: +856-2141-2278, fax: +856-2141-2279, email: lithpts@laotel.com

PAKISTAN

Mr Misbahul Hasan Qureshi, Manager, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Off University Road, P.O. Box 8402, Karachi - 75270. Tel.: +92-21-465-0765 (to 79), fax: +92-21-464-4928, email: suparco@digicom.net.pk

Mr Nadeem Faisal, Assistant Manager, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Off University Road, P.O. Box 8402, Karachi - 75270. Tel.: +92-42-542-0517, fax: +92-42-281-5342, email: ssclhr@brain.net.pk , or suparco@digicom.net.pk

PHILIPPINES

Mr Gabriel Z. Pimentel, President and CEO, Mabuhay Satellite Corporation, 2 nd Floor, PLDT Tower S, 6799 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Metro-Manila. Tel.: +632-887-5788, fax: +632-887-5789, email: gzpimentel@mabuhaysat.com

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Mr Jin-Ho Jo, Senior Member, Communications Satellite Research Group, Electronic and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Yusong P.O. Box 106, or 161 Gajeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-600. Tel.: +82-42-860-5696, fax: +82-42-860-6949, email: jhjo@etri.re.kr

THAILAND

Ms Monchaya Piboon, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), 196 Phahonyothin Road , Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900. Tel.: +662-940-5671, fax: +662-5613035, email: mpiboon@gistda.or.th

VIET NAM

Mr Nguyen Thanh Hai, Officer, Science and Technology Department, Ministry of Posts and Telematics, 18 Nguyen Du Street , Hanoi . Tel.: +844-822-6580, fax: +844-943-7328, email: haint@mpt.gov.vn

OBSERVERS

Mr Khwankeo Vajarodaya, Chairman, Distance Learning Foundation, 3 rd Floor, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Dusit, Bangkok 10300. Tel.: +662-9999 ext. 127, fax: +662-280-1244

Ms Sorada Duke, DLF Chief and Director for International Affairs, Distance Learning Foundation, 3 rd Floor, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Dusit, Bangkok 10300. Tel.: +662-281-5637, +661-826-3998, fax: +662-281-5783, email: sorada@dlf.ac.th , or dukesorada@hotmail.com

Mr Raymond Tan, Regional Director - Asia-Pacific, Iridium Satellite LLC, 32 Maxwell Road, #03-13 Whitehouse, Singapore 069115. Tel.: +65-6769-3065 fax: +65-6765-3075, email: raymond.tan@iridium.com

Mr Kapoor Rajeev, Regional Director - Asia-Pacific, Intelsat Singapore Pte., Ltd., 80 Robinson Road, #14-02 , Singapore 068898. Tel.: +65-6221-4089, fax: +65-5224-5988, email: Rajeev.kapoor@intelsat.com

Mr Patompob Suwansiri, Broadband Marketing Director, Shin Satellite Public Company Limited, 41/103 Rattanathibet Road , Nonthaburi 11000 . Tel.: +662-591-0736 (to 49), fax: +662-591-0706, email: patompos@thaicom.net

Mr Karnkridit Nimsombun, Marketing Specialist, Shin Satellite Public Company Limited, 41/103 Rattanathibet Road , Nonthaburi, 11000. Tel.: +662-591-0736 (to 49) ext. 317, fax: +662-591-0706, email: karnkrin@thaicom.net

Mr Yang Youlin, Assistant Regional Coordinator, Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Asia Regional Coordinating Unit, United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok, 10200. Tel.: +662-288-2559, fax: +662-288-3065, email: youlin.unescap@un.org

SECRETARIAT

Mr Wu Guoxiang Chief, Space Technology Applications Section, Information, Communication and Space Technology Division

Mr Nokeo Ratanavong Scientific Affairs Officer, Space Technology Applications Section, Information, Communication and Space Technology Division

Mr David Hastings Geographic Information Systems Officer, Space Technology Applications Section, Information, Communication and Space Technology Division

Mr Cihat Huseyin Basocak Geographic Information Systems Officer, Space Technology Applications Section, Information, Communication and Space Technology Division

Mr Pierre-Henri Pisani Expert in Space Technology Applications, Space Technology Applications Section, Information, Communication and Space Technology Division