The Vietnamese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, has announced that Vietnam will open a tender this month for satellite production and relevant activities, so that manufacture of its first communication satellite can start in April. Companies from the U.S., France, Russia and Japan are expected take part in the tender process.The satellite will be named Vinasat, and at a cost of $182.6 million will cover Vietnam, other Southeast Asian countries, Japan, the Korean peninsula, part of China, eastern Ocean and the South China Sea. Expected to be launched in 2008, Vinasat, will have a life-span of fifteen years.
