SIGN: CONFERENCE TABLE AND RAMOGO SIGNING: SUTHERLAND: SUTHERLAND AND RAMOGO SIGNING: RAMOGO SPEAKING: GROUP OUTSIDE BUILDING: CAR LEAVES.




Initials GHB/V/JH/SS



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Background: BRITAIN'S MARCONI COMPANY IS TO BUILD A ONE AND A HALF MILLION POUND STERLING EARTH SATELLITE STATION IN KENYA UNDER A CONTRACT SIGNED IN NAIROBI YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) WITH THE EAST AFRICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY (EXTELCOMS).

THE STATION, WHICH IS SITUATED IN A NATURAL AMPHITHEATRE SCREENED FROM ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE IN THE RIFT VALLEY NEAR MOUNT MARGARET, 27 MILES (43 KILOMETRES) NORTH OF NAIROBI, IS TO BE IN OPERATION BY EARLY 1970.

A 97 FOOT (29 METRES) DISH WILL BEAM INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS, TELEX CALLS, TELEGRAPH MESSAGES, NEWS, BUSINESS INFORMATION, COMPUTER DATA AND TELEVISION PROGRAMMES TO A SATELLITE 22,300 MILES (36,000 KILOMETRES) OUT IN SPACE.

EAST AFRICA HAS BEEN ALLOCATED 32 OF THE SATELLITE'S 1,200 AVAILABLE CHANNELS TO BOUNCE MESSAGES TO SIMILAR STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THESE WILL INCLUDE 21 CHANNELS TO BRITAIN, EIGHT TO INDIA AND ONE EACH TO WEST PAKISTAN, HONG KONG AND NIGERIA. THE NUMBER OF CHANNELS FOR EAST AFRICA WILL LATER BE EXPANDED TO 60, ACCORDING TO EXTELCOMS GENERAL MANAGER, MR. HENRY RAMOGO, WHO SIGNED THE AGREEMENT WITH MARCONI'S CHAIRMAN, MR. FREDERICK N. SUTHERLAND.