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Boeing has won a $35 million contract to provide telecommunications services to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq using the Boeing-built Thuraya satellite communications system. The initial contract calls for Boeing Satellite Systems to provide mobile satellite communications and support services to aid in the reconstruction of the region. Services will be provided to Coalition Provisional Authority officials in Baghdad; to U.S peacekeeping forces throughout the country; to Iraq's 18 governing ministries; and to personnel with other U.S.-based contractors working in Iraq. Boeing also will supply Thuraya handsets and other communications hardware, and has established a customer support operation. Two customer help desks have been set up in Iraq offering user training, system installation and logistics support. Kellogg, Brown & Root awarded the competitively bid contract to Boeing, and Boeing has subcontracted with DTC, an Iraqi company, to provide some of the customer support services. "Restoration activities in many areas of Iraq are hampered by a severe lack of terrestrial mobile phone services, which will be in development for years to come," said Dave Ryan, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International. "Our ability to rapidly deploy a satellite-based infrastructure will help meet the tremendous need for communications throughout the country. We are delighted to assist the coalition authority in Iraq by providing reliable, mobile satellite communications services in the region, especially since this contract also includes services from our Thuraya customer," Ryan added. The Thuraya mobile communications system serves a region of more than 2.3 billion people throughout Europe, the Middle East, North and Central Africa, and Central and South Asia. Boeing Satellite Systems built the complete turnkey system under a contract signed in September 1997. This included the manufacture of two high-power Boeing geosynchronous-orbit mobile communications satellites, ground facilities and user handsets. The system began commercial operations in mid-2001. The Thuraya satellites were launched by Sea Launch, a company in which Boeing has a 40 percent ownership stake. Related Links Boeing SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
Baghdad Calling
Baghdad - Feb 27, 2004Bechtel today announced the restoration of 12 telephone exchange sites in Baghdad, allowing the Iraqi Telephone and Post Company (ITPC) to bring 240,000 telephone lines back into operation. In addition, a new international satellite gateway, capable of handling all international calls placed from anywhere in the country, has been installed and integrated with the ITPC telephone switches in Baghdad. The work was performed as part of Bechtel's contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to repair key elements of Iraq's infrastructure. |
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