On December 23, 2015, APT Satellite Company Limited has entered into an agreement with Telesat for APSTAR-5C/TELSTAR-18 VANTAGE satellite which is the replacement satellite to APSTAR-5 (also known as TELSTAR-18) located at 138° degree East geostationary orbital slot. APT Satellite will hold the leasehold interests and exclusive right of utilization of approximately 36.2 transponders for the whole lifetime of the APSTAR-5C Satellite.

APSTAR-5C is based on the FS-1300 platform of SS/L, which will be equipped with C-band, Ku-band regional beams and Ku-band HTS payloads. The launch date is set in the first quarter of 2018.

“We are pleased to announce this new satellite project“, said Mr.Cheng Guangren, the Executive Director and President of APT Satellite, “through APSTAR-5C Satellite, we will be able to maintain reliable services to our existing customers of APSTAR-5 satellite, and to assure the continuity of their businesses. Meanwhile, APSTAR-5C satellite will carry more transponders, expand to broader service areas, and include regional high-throughput (HTS) capacities to satisfy growing market demand in Asia Pacific region”.