Communication satellite will provide telecom operators and government, a cost effective way to extend essential telecom services to the farthest corners of the country.

Developing countries around the world face an acute shortage of medical professionals and situation is worst in rural areas of such countries, which often lack communication infrastructure.

Today, communication satellites are being employed the world over, to offer tele-medicine services in rural communities to improve access to medical care, enhance its quality, provide earlier diagnosis and treatment and improve the health care delivery.

By enabling physicians to consult with their peers, have access to specialists, and continue their education, tele-medicine could also increase the number of physicians located in rural areas.

Giving further details, Secretary SUPARCO Arshad H Siraj said, “This satellite will also help to increase diversity and access to educational programs by providing opportunities for adult community education and in-service teacher training”.

He said world has now entered a new era called the information society. This era is marked by dramatic technological developments in computers, electronic media and telecommunications and growing aspects of information in all aspects of human life.

Access to the information and the facilities, to produce, store and transmit information is now considered vital to development.

In this race between information needs and new information capabilities, communication satellites give the ability to compete and maximise the use of limited resources towards an expanding population.

For Pakistan, satellites are not only a communication tool, rather a unique opportunity to bring meaningful change in the lives of its citizen.

Realizing the importance of extending the benefits of information revolution to rural communities, governments the world over are implementing innovative universal services programs in the areas of communication, health care, education and governance.

Communication satellites have become an integral part of all such programs extending their reach to the remotest corners of the world and providing reliable and cost effective means of extending the benefits of information revolution to people living in these times.

Secretary SUPARCO said under the vision 2040 of Pakistan’s Space program, many more satellites will be launched, which will help to improve socio-economic condition of the country.

As far as launch of spaceship is concerned, he said, no such planning is in consideration, and focus is to launch more communication satellites.

PAKSAT-1R was successfully launched on August 12, 2011 and will start its commercial operations in October 2011.

It is a great milestone in the field of Science and Technology for the people of Pakistan and a big step towards the economic prosperity of the country. app