The total investment for the Vinasat-2 telecommunications satellite will be between USD 290 million and USD 350 million, VNPT said in a statement.

VNPT said it has been working with foreign partners on the issue, without giving further details. The satellite, to be placed in the orbital slot 107 East, will be Vietnam’s second orbital satellite, it said. Vietnam launched its first satellite from a space port in South America in April 2008.

The USD 300 million Vinasat-1, built by the US’s Lockheed Martin, is expected to have a lifespan of between 15 and 20 years. It is equipped with 20 36-MHz transmitters that can provide data, internet, television and radio coverage to Southeast Asia, eastern China, India, North Korea, Japan, Australia and Hawaii