The Argentine Communications Undersecretariat has said that two groups have qualified to launch into orbit and operate a telecommunications satellite: General Electric Co is leading one group along with Socma Americana SA (part of the local Macri business group) and AGEA (part of the Clarin media group), while the other one comprises Embratel Ltda of Brazil, Italy’s Alenia Spazio SpA and Aerospatiale SA of France; an application from the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation was rejected; the contract was due to be awarded on December 28; the satellite is to be used for domestic communications, and is expected to be in operation by the end of 1995.
