State enterprise National Telecom (NT) has extended the retirement date of the Thaicom 4 satellite to the end of September 2026, though it is declining to pay Thaicom 4's management fees to Thaicom Plc, citing technical risks.
The move follows Thaicom's proposal to NT that the satellite's expiration date be extended to the end of next year after two extensions in recent years.
According to NT president Col Sanpachai Huvanandana, the latest extension addresses the delayed deployment of the satellite's successor, Thaicom 9, ensuring uninterrupted service for customers.
In the past, the Thaicom 4 and Thaicom 6 satellites were operated by Thaicom under a state concession regime.
Thaicom later transferred ownership of the two satellites to the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry, which in turn assigned NT to operate servicing for the two satellites.
NT hired Thaicom to manage the two satellites on its behalf.
Thaicom claims the engineering lifespan of Thaicom 4 could potentially last until next year because it has sufficient fuel and can be safely removed from its orbit once it reaches its definitive end of life, Col Sanpachai said.
The satellite operator's push to extend the lifespan of Thaicom 4 aligns with its plan to migrate its customer base from the retiring satellite to other platforms, particularly broadband internet users in the Indian market who have not yet been fully transitioned to other platforms.
Due to delays in launching Thaicom's two replacement satellites, the company has leased capacity on foreign satellites to accommodate clients on an interim basis.
A recent board meeting of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) approved Thaicom's proposal to use the foreign satellite capacity of Koreasat to provide service as a replacement for Thaicom 4.
The NBTC board meeting in April also determined Thaicom 4 would be unable to maintain its orbital position beyond July 31 due to constraints in onboard power systems, with officials indicating further extension is infeasible.
"The NT board acknowledged the need for continued operation, but limited the extension to September, noting the satellite's lifespan has already been extended twice before," Col Sanpachai said.
Initially scheduled for retirement in 2022, its operations were first prolonged to 2024, then extended again in March 2024 for an additional year.
Thaicom recently requested the NBTC allow it to extend the launch deadline of Thaicom 9 until Sept 30, 2027, citing force majeure circumstances after satellite manufacturer Astranis encountered production failures affecting an entire batch of satellites. The satellite was originally scheduled for launch during 2025-2026.
NO FEE PAYMENT
Col Sanpachai said NT has paid Thaicom a monthly fee of 10 million baht to manage both Thaicom 4 and Thaicom 6.
However, the NT board resolved it would no longer pay the fee for Thaicom 4 management after mid-year, arguing the satellite's engineering life should technically be considered exhausted.
Furthermore, the state telecom declared it will not be held responsible for any damage or service interruptions occurring after mid-year, as the risk of technical failure increases with the satellite's age.
This move aligns with a directive from the DES Ministry that authorised the NT board to make the final decision on the matter.
Despite NT's concerns over technical risks, Col Sanpachai said the lifespan extension until September is a final grace period for Thaicom to handle its service transitions before the ageing satellite is retired from NT's oversight.
