Trial operations lasted for about two months and commercial service began in mid-March 2016. 

Mr Dingspoke about the challenges the company had faced in its business operations. “But we are confident that through Laos-China cooperation and the guidance of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Lao Sat 1will be able to contribute to the socio-economic development of Laos,” he said. 

One of the main challenges tothe success of the project, according to Mr Ding, is the lack of sufficiently skilled personnel. He said thecompany welcomed anyone in Laos who was qualified in satellite television or related fields. Lao Sat 1 is equipped with 22 transponders (14 in C-band and eight in Ku-band) and provides services such as transponder leasing, satellite telecommunications and teleports, internet, television broadcasting, and emergency support. 

Mr Ding, who is also Lao Sat’s Director of Board, said Laos’ first ever satellite business had to compete withneighbouring satellite companies and satellite television broadcasting services already present in Laos. Hementioned the unregulated import of satellite dishes and set-top boxes, which he said often unfairly replacedLao Sat’s legally distributed set-top boxes.

“Imported dishes and set-top boxes are a challenge for our legalbusiness, which has paid the required taxes,” Mr Ding said. 

The government is drafting a regulation to controlthe import of other brands of set-top boxes in the hope of ensuring fair business competition. Lao Sat willimprove its products, programmes and their content so they are more attractive to audiences, and design amarketing mix to match the expectations of customers in the various target groups, Mr Ding said. 

Lao Satprovides television programmes through a DTH set-top box, which offers viewers programmes from 150multi-cultural channels around the world. As of August, 33 companies from Laos and abroad had signedagreements to rent data usage on Laos’ first telecommunications satellite. Lao Sat is preparing to sign anagreement with a country outside Asean on transponder leasing. The satellite was designed, developed andplaced in orbit by China at a cost of US$259 million. Lao Sat 1 is expected to have a life of about 15 years. MrDing said the past two years had been a start-up phase in terms of business operation. Referring to theexperience of large, well-known satellite operators, he said they typically took 10 years to recoup their costs,including the launch period.