Thai Shin Sat IPSTAR equipment sales hit 100,000

BANGKOK, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Thailand's Shin Satellite PCL SATT.BK said on Wednesday its sales of user terminals, equipment for its key high-speed broadband satellite IPSTAR reached 100,000 at the end of 2007.

The company planned to install ground stations for the $400-million IPSTAR to expand its high-speed Internet and telecoms services in 14 Asia-Pacific countries by the end of 2008, it said in a statement.

IPSTAR's terminal equipment consists of an indoor modem for connection to the Internet, voice service and an antenna to send and receive signal and data to users.

The company has said it aims to sell 220,000-250,000 user terminals by the end of this year.

IPSTAR, the world's largest broadband satellite launched in 2005, operates high-speed Internet and telecoms services in eight countries including Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, China and Indochina.

Shin Sat was founded by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before his relatives sold their controlling stake in Shin Corp SHIN.BK, which owns 41 percent of Shin Sat, to Singapore's Temasek Holdings [TEM.UL] in 2006.

At the midday break, Shin Sat shares were down 1.96 percent at 10 baht, while the main index .SET was down 1.33 percent. ($1 = 33.60 Baht) (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Michael Battye)