The Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications company will launch its second satellite in early 2003. Thuraya-2 will enhance the company’s existing network and will enable the extension of its services to more countries, confirmed a Thuraya official.
The US-based Boeing Company will build the satellite, whose orbital location will be positioned 28.5 degrees east. Thuraya hopes to make its services available to potential clients in South Africa and Russia and plans to introduce new services to enhance the functionality of its handsets, which include fixed telephony and fleet management.
Thuraya is entering into a contract with satellite operator Inmarsat to introduce high-speed data in addition to finalizing the software update for its handsets which include adding new languages in the phone menu such as Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Russian.
Thuraya-1 provides more than 1.8 billion people in 11 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe with mobile telephone services. Boeing Satellite Systems built the first 5,108-kilogram spacecraft, which was launched into orbit from the Pacific Ocean one year ago. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
