JPRS 72226

14 November 1978

WORLD

TRANSLATIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY,

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

No. 59

WIDE

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1. Report No.

JPRS 72226

4. Title and Subtitle

TRANSLATIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY, RESEARCH

AND DEVELOPMENT, No. 59

3. Recipient's Accession No.

5. Report Date

14 November 1978

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No.

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13. Type of Report & Period

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15. Supplementary Notes

16. Abstracts

This serial report contains translations from the world press and radio relating

to worldwide political, economic and technical developments in telecommunications,

computers, and satellite communications. Coverage will be worldwide with focus

on France, Federal Republic of Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the USSR,

People's Republic of China, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

17. Key Words and Document Analysis. 17a. Descriptors

Worldwide

Computers

Satellite Communications

Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Telecommunications

Telemetry

17b. Identifiers/Open-Ended Terms

17c. COSATI Field/Group Q9B, C, F, 17B, 22B

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JPRS 7222 6

14 November 19 78

TRANSLATIONS ON TELECOIWIUNI CATIONS POLICY,

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

No. 59

CONTENTS PAGE

WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

French Communications Official Holds Talks on Cooperation

(BTA, 12 Oct 78) 1

Talks Commence

Received by Zhivkov

Iraqi Seminar for Nonalined News Agencies Attended

(VNA, 9 Oct 78) 3

Union Delegation in USSR Raises Problem of Kiev Transmitter

(AFTENPOSTEN, 30 Sep 78) ... 4

Briefs

Franco-Bulgarian Telephone Cooperation 5

ASIA

VIETNAM

Briefs

Model K225.B Amplifiers 6

EASTERN EUROPE

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Briefs

New Satellite Observation Station 7

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Briefs

New Television Transmitter 8

"

a

- [III - INT - 140]
CONTENTS (Continued) p

HUNGARY

Air Traffic Radar Control Station Fills Need

(HAJDU BIHARI NAPLO, 11 Aug 78) 9

LATIN AMERICA

BRAZIL

Joint Venture With Fujitsu for Computers Planned

(JORNAL DO BRASIL, 27, 30 Sep 78) 11

SERPRO President's Justification

Talks Begin in October

Planning Minister Announces Medium Computer Manufacture

Unrestricted

(JORNAL DO BRASIL, 3 Oct 78) 14

COBRA Official Seeks CAPRE Criteria Applied Throughout

Industry

(JORNAL DO BRASIL, 4 Oct 78) 16

EMFA Supports Incentives for Digital Electronics Industry

(0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO, 29 Sep 78) 18

EMBRATEL To Install Seven Stations in Amazon Region

(0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO, 24 Sep 78) 20

African Proposal for Preferential Treatment From INTELSAT

(0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO, 8 Oct 78) 21

Siemens Wins Bidding for Telex Terminals

(0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO, 29 Sep 78) 22

CUBA

Telephone Service Expansion in Holguin

(JUVENTUD REBELDE, 22 Sep 78) 23

Briefs

Direct Telephone Links 25

First Holguin TV Program 25

- b -
CONTENTS (Continued) Page

URUGUAY

Briefs

ANTEL Telecommunications Assessment 26

NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

INTER-ARAB AFFAIRS

Arab Artificial Satellite To Be Launched in 1980

(Hisham Talib; AL-RA'Y AL-'AMM, 24 Jun 78) 27

EGYPT

Laser Beams Used To Track Satellites

(AL-AHRAM, 11 Jul 78) 32

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS

Reportage on Pan-Aftel Regional Conference

(NATION, various dates) 36

Seychelles Delegation

Exchange of Information

European Transit Hit

ETHIOPIA

Satellite Earth Station Being Established in Sululta

(THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD, 14 Oct 78) 39

SEYCHELLES

New Automatic Telex Exchange Inaugurated

(NATION, 11 Oct 78) 41

USSR

Satellite, Landline Links Extend Tadzhikistan TV Coverage

(PRAVDA, 25 Oct 78) 43

- c -.
CONTENTS (Continued) Page

WESTERN EUROPE

FRANCE

DGT Policy on Optical Telecommunications Defined

(D. Levy; ELECTRONIQUE ACTUALITES, 6 Oct 78) A4

- d -
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

FRENCH COMMUNICATIONS OFFICIAL HOLDS TALKS ON COOPERATION

Talks Commence

Sofia BTA in English 0837 GMT 12 Oct 78 AU

[Text] Sofia, 12 oct, BTA--The talks between the Bulgarian minister of communications,

Mr Pando Vanchev, and the [French] state secretary for posts and telecommunications,

Mr Norbert Segard, began here today, to discuss the problems of cooperation between the

two countries in the sphere of communications and the manufacture of communication

equipment. The opinion was expressed that substantial possibilities are on hand for

Joint production of communications equipment in the future, still the more so because

of Bulgaria's specialization in the manufacture of certain communications facilities.

The French secretary of state for posts and telecommunications is to visit some institutes

and plants in the country which design and manufacture electronic equipment. It is expected

that the two ministers will sign a document on future cooperation. Joint working groups

have been set up in the sphere of telecommunications to deal with the problems of further

expansion of direct contacts and scientific and technological cooperation. A programme is

being worked on for mutual utilization of the ground space stations on the territory of

the two countries.

A sub-system of the national automated county centers telephone system operates in the

Sofia telephone office. The sub-system is built with French equipment of the [words

indistinct] firms, which make it possible for the capacity of telephone lines to be

packed up to l800 channels. Similar facilities have already been installed in (16) county

centers in the country, while in others, their assembly is forthcoming. The assembly and

the building of projects is carried out by Bulgarian designers and builders Jointly with

their French colleagues.

Received by Zhivkov

Sofia BTA in English 1915 GMT 12 Oct 78 AU

[Text] Sofia, 12 oct, BTA—Today Mr Todor Zhivkov, chairman of the State Council,

received Mr Norbert Segard, state secretary for posts and telecommunications of France.
Mr Todor Zhivkov was informed of the talks being held in the capital now between a

delegation of the Ministry of Communications and a delegation of the State Secretariat

for Posts and Telecommunications of France. It was stressed that there existed good

possibilities for a further development of Bulgaro-French cooperation in the implementation of technological progress in postal communications and telecommunication

equipment, in the electronification of communications, jointly, by using other most

modern achievements in this field. The meeting proceeded in a friendly atmosphere

CSO: 5500
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

IRAQI SEMINAR FOR NONALINED NEWS AGENCIES ATTENDED

Hanoi VNA in English 1506 GMT 9 Oct 78 OW

[Text] Hanoi, 9 Oct (VNA)---A seminar of the regional centres for redistribution of information from non-aligned news agencies was held in Baghdad on October 2-4 with UNESCO

assistance and under the presidency of Dr D.R. Mankekar, chairman of the Coordinating

Committee of the non-aligned news agencies pool.

Participating in the seminar were 10 delegations of non-aligned news agencies, the Arab

News Agency Federation and representatives of the INTERNATIONAL PRESS SERVICE (IPS).

The VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY delegation was led by Director General Dao Tung.

Iraqi Minister of Information Qasim Hammudi delivered the opening speech. The representatives

made reports and exchanged experiences on the role and tasks of regional centres for receipt

and redistribution of non-aligned news agency material and discussed measures to strengthen

cooperation among non-aligned news agencies and contribute to the building of a new world

information order.

At the seminar VNA's representative spoke of the experience in news reception and redistribution work of VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY--one of the regional centres. In particular he dealt with

the line, standards and subjects for information from the non-aligned movement in publicity

work against imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism and the international reactionary

forces, and in contributing to the defence of peace, the consolidation of independence and

stability in each region and the strengthening of mutual understanding among nations.

CSO: 5500
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

UNION DELEGATION IN USSR RAISES PROBLEM OF KIEV TRANSMITTER

Oslo AFTENPOSTEN in Norwegian 30 Sep 78 p 36 LD

[Kjell Dragnes dispatch: "Russians Have Promised to Examine Kiev Transmitter"]

[Text] Moscow, 29 September--The Soviet communications workers trade union has again

promised to examine what measures might be implemented to prevent the side-effects of

the Kiev transmitter, Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions [LO] Deputy Chairman Leif

Haraldseth told AFTENPOSTEN.

Haraldseth was leading a LO delegation which was visiting the Soviet Union at the

invitation of the Soviet Ail-Union Central Council of Trade Unions [AUCCTU].

A.M. Kanayeva, leader of the Soviet trade union, replied to the appeal from the delegation, on the Kiev transmitter, saying that the powerful interference from the installation

is not a generally known problem in the Soviet Union.

CSO: 5500
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS

BRIEFS

FRANCO-BULGARIAN TELEPHONE COOPERATION—Franco-Bulgarian cooperation in

communications and the joint production of equipment was the focus of talks

recently held in Sofia between Norbert Segard, French secretary of state

for post and telecommunications, and Bulgarian Minister of Communications

Pando Vanchev, according to the BTA. Segard and Vanchev agreed to confide

"the problems posed by the development of scientific and technical cooperation to groups of various experts." They also plan "to work out a program

enabling the utilization, by both countries, of the existing installations

in France and Bulgaria." (Note that the SAT [Telecommunications Company,

Inc.] is involved in the production of multiplexers in Bulgaria and that

Thomson-CFF has undertaken discussions dealing with electronic switching

with the Bulgarian authorities.) [Text] [Paris ELECTRONIQUE ACTUALITES in

French 20 Oct 78 p 8]

CSO: 5500
VIETNAM

BRIEFS

MODEL K225.B AMPLIFIERS—The Posts and Telegraph Equipment Factory has

successfully produced the all-transistor Model K225.B amplifier. The Radio

Unit of the Technical Bureau of the Posts and Telegraph Equipment Factory

consulted a number of documents from other countries. The amplifier has

33 circuit boards manufactured using the printed circuit technique. The

highest output for speakers is 50 watts; there are two leads for speakers,

each with 25 watts. The leads can be used independently. The amplifier

uses 110-120 volts electricity or a 24-volt battery. The chassis is simple

and convenient for information and propaganda uses, especially in areas

that do not yet have an industrial electrical network. The amplifier can

be used as a receiver, or as an amplifier for a microphone, a record player,

recorder, and so on. The factory has produced 80 amplifiers to serve the

mountainous provinces. [Text] [Hanoi NHAN DAN in Vietnamese 2 Oct 78 p 2]

7839

CSO: 5500
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

BRIEFS

NEW SATELLITE OBSERVATION STATION--A new earth satellite observation

station was established at Lamkowko near Olsztyn. This station is the

second of its type in Olsztyn Voivodship, in addition to the station of

the Agricultural-Technical Academy in Olsztyn that is one of the first

stations put into operation in Poland and has been conducting regular

observations for 17 years. The new installation is capable of conducting

precise photographic observations with the use of an "AFU-75" tracking

camera which enables specialists of the Agricultural-Technical Academy

to expand satellite geodesy and geophysics research included in the

research program coordinated by the Interkosmos organizations. In

addition to the tracking camera obtained from the Astronomical Council

of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, the station is provided with equipment

which is capable of automatically recording and processing the results

of the observations with the use of computers. Devices for precisely

determining the time with accuracy of up to one/ten-millionth of a second

are also installed in the station. [Text] [Warsaw ZYCIE WARSZAWY in

Polish 18 Sep 78 p 2]

CSO: 5500
CZECHOSLOVAKIA

BRIEFS

NEW TELEVISION TRANSMITTER--A new television transmitter, the second one

in the South Bohemia Kraj, is being built on top of the Marsky hill near

Vimperk in the Prachatice Okres. The Strakonice Construction Administration of the Ceske Budejovice Construction Works is in charge of the construction which will amount to more than Kcs 10 million. At 900 m above

sea level, work was started on access roads in order to begin foundation

construction for a 90 m high tower before 1979. [Prague ZEMEDELSKE NOVINY

in Czech 16 Oct 78 p 2]

CSO: 5500
HUNGARY

AIR TRAFFIC RADAR CONTROL STATION FILLS NEED

Debrecen HAJDU BIHARI NAPLO in Hungarian 11 Aug 78 p 4

[Article« »Air Traffic Radar Control on Korishegy, Trial Operation at the

LRI Radar Station"]

[Text] Tourists in the Bakony can see from the distanoe an enormous globe on

the top of Korishegy. But very few of them know what purpose is served by

the mysterious-looking object. It was here that the Korishegy radar station

of the Air Traffio and Airport Administration was built several years ago.

The trial operation was began in 1976, and since Febrruary a year ago they have

been working experimentally. This year the microwave chain will be ready which

will link the station to the Perihegy airport, and at that time it will also

join in practical oontrol work.

The task of the radar station is the control of civilian air traffic. The

radar beams emitted from the 704-meter high Koriehegy will "see" airplanes in

a 500-kilometer circle. The most modern pieces of electronic equipment and

oomputers will provide six pieces of data on every airplane every minute.

They will establish the number of the airplanes, their speed, altitude and

the coordinates. After it is put into operation, air traffic in Hungary's airspace will be faster and safer. «w«ar B »«-

Up to now, there has been no radar control over Hungary. Civilian airplanes

flew in a 5-20 kilometer wide so-called air lane between reporting points

established on the ground. The arrival at each reporting point was reported

to the Perihegy control oenter, where on the basis of this information they

calculated the positions of the airplanes. The airplanes could fly in these

T*,Z * altitude levels with a difference of 60O-IOO meters at intervals

of 10 minutes. A 10-minute interval represents a distanoe of about 150 kilometers, which is unconditionally necessary from the safety point of view.

About 400 civilian airplanes a day appear in Hungarian air space. Because of

its central situation, Hungary lies in the center of international «JTlta..

Erthü S

e0eSaar7 *! C

?

ntr01 transit planes as well at\note w££ ai Perihegy. Passage control of lines which approach in all direc^onsTd^ss
one another represents a responsible and diffioult task for the controllers.

The Korishegy radar station will make this task easier to an extremely great

extent sinoe the airplanes oan be seen also on the radar soreen, and the

entire air spaoe can be directly observed. Moreover, the airplanes oan now

go in 5-minute intervals, and thus traffic oan move faster and with greater

safety.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

1. Specific picture of a radar screen. The air lanes are clearly visible,

and the triangles represent reporting points. Each white dot represents

an airplane.

2. The Korishegy Station.

3. The controllers perform difficult and responsible work.

4. The most important part of the station is the transmitter room.

9108

CSO: 5500

10
BRAZIL

JOINT VENTURE WITH FUJITSU FOR COMPUTERS PLANNED

SERPRO President's Justification

Rio de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRASIL in Portuguese 27 Sep 78 p 23

[Text] Moacir Fioravante, the president of SERPRO [Federal Data Processing

Service], declared yesterday that the creation of a joint venture with Fujitsu

and Brazilian private enterprises for the manufacture of medium-size computers

is justified because it is not of interest to leave that market as a monopoly of IBM, since the enterprises already authorized to manufacture minicomputers would have difficulties in filling it.

The meeting of the Plenary Council of CAPRE, which was scheduled for 5 October

next, where computers were one item on the agenda, was postponed sine die according to information given yesterday by CAPRE sources in Brasilia. The IBM

project would be debated in that meeting and the last word would be given on

the possible interference of that project in the area of minicomputers.

Foreign Technology

Mr Moacir Fioravante gave his opinion that an association with a foreign

partner is necessary for the manufacture of medium-sized computers. For that

reason, SERPRO and DIGIBRAS [expansion unknown] are negotiating with Fujitsu,

an enterprise which agrees to free its capital and make possible the absorption of technology, one of the principal objectives of that joint venture.

The president of SERPRO added that the enterprises authorized by CAPRE are

to manufacture minicomputers and, if they wish, they can enter the market

for larger-sized computers. He added at the same time that they have such

an objective, above all for the short term. COBRA [Brazilian Computing Systems] and other authorized enterprises will not be able to acquire technology

abroad in order to begin a new generation of minicomputers. For that reason,

the development of their technology is dependent on this area. Mr Moacir

Fioravante further commented that without associating with enterprises with

international experience it is difficult to enter the field of larger-sized

computers.

The enterprises qualified to produce larger computers in the meantime are prohibited from entering the minicomputer market. The five criteria of the CDE

11
[Economic Development Council] for giving authorization to computer manufacturers, according to Mr Moacir Fioravante, are valid for the entire sector

and not just for the manufacturers of minicomputers. These criteria at the

same time are not for the purpose of eliminating but rather for classifying.

One of the criteria requires that the enterprise have the participation of

Brazilian capital which, on an international level, IBM has refused to permit.

In Brazil the president of CAPRE, Mr Elcio Costa Couto, advised that he had

no official knowledge of the joint venture. In the Planning Ministry the reactions over the undertaking were positive, because many have understood this

to be the best road for promoting competition among enterprises in the area

of medium-sized computers, which IBM also intends to see a similar project

which is now being analyzed by CAPRE approved. Sources in CAPRE declared

that the idea of the joint venture is good. If it is constituted, they added,

it would facilitate the approval of the IBM project, because two basic worries

would be eliminated: the possibility of a monopoly for the U.S. company in

a sector considered to be vital to national security and also the possibility

of a medium-sized computer from the enterprise coming to threaten the models

manufactured by COBRA, which are minicomputers.

Talks Begin in October

Rio de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRASIL in Portuguese 30 Sep 78 p 16

[Text] The viability of a joint venture between private Brazilian enterprises,

state enterprises and Fujitsu for the manufacture of medium-sized computers

will be the topic of the meetings which the Boards of Directors of SERPRO

[Federal Data Processing Service] and DIGIBRAS [expansion unknown] will have

with the international marketing director of Fujitsu, Mr Shiro Yoshikawa,

beginning on 9 October in Rio. This information was given yesterday by

Mr Moacir Fioravante, the president of SERPRO.

Setting out the dimensions of the market is to be one of the most exciting

subjects taken up in the meetings. In Tokyo, last week, Mr Moacir Fioravante

and Mr Wando Borges, president of DIGIBRAS, agreed with the Japanese on the

proposal to create a joint venture. They discussed the conditions of the

undertaking only briefly. The most difficult phase of negotiations will

therefore begin on 9 October.

Nationalization and Exports

SERPRO and DIGIBRAS have some conditions to impose for the realization of the

project, such as a high and progressive nationalization of equipment sources,

a balance of payments tending toward equilibrium and a majority of Brazilian

capital.

A significant part of the production would have to be destined to the foreign

market in order for the enterprise to be viable, not only in order to have

the economy of size but chiefly to maintain an equilibrium in its balance of

payments. It is for this reason that it would have to use Fujitsu's international trade structure. In a so highly competitive market as the computer

12
market is, only enterprises with international traditions are able to place

products on the world market. The manufacturers of Brazilian minicomputers,

for .example, do not have the objective of placing their products on the

foreign market as a priority item.

For that reason Fujitsu will have to allocate markets to Brazil which are now

exploited by their home factory or by subsidiaries in which it has a controlling interest. It will be a difficult bargain. The Brazilians are so interested in sending computers produced in Brazil even to the Japanese market

Fujitsu will probably easily agree to export from Brazil to other countries

in Latin America, for example.

12116

CSO: 5500

13
BRAZIL

PLANNING MINISTER ANNOUNCES MEDIUM COMPUTER MANUFACTURE UNRESTRICTED

Rio de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRASIL in Portuguese 3 Oct 78 p 20

/Text/ Brasilia. The Planning Ministry divulged yesterday that policies of

reserving the market, or any other official restrictions, will not be adopted

for the manufacture of medium and large computers in Brazil, contrary to the

position adopted for minicomputers. CAPRE, the Coordinating Commission for

Electronic Processing Activities, will approve the projects based on "technical qualities," and its duties include encouraging competition among the

industries in this sector.

At least three projects have already been presented to CAPRE aiming at producing computers of medium size in Brazil: IBM (with no shares of stock

sold in Brazil), Burroughs (whose_ details have not been revealed), and an _

association of Monneywell-Bull /as published/ with CIEE /expansion unknown/

(a French company) and Brasilinvest /expansion unknown/. The organization

of a joint venture between DIGIBRAS /expansion unknown/ and SERPRO /Federal

Data Processing Service/ with the Japanese Fujitsu company, but so far contacts have not been maintained with CAPRE.

One Demand

The only demand made by CAPRE for the approval of these projects to manufacture medium and large-scale computers is that there is not to be any interference in the area of minicomputers, which has been reserved for Brazilian

enterprises. In the remaining cases, according to the official explanation

given by the Planning Ministry, the same criteria will be used as a general

rule as in the industrial policy that has now been adopted in Brazil under _

the provisions of Resolution No. 9 of the Economic Development Council /CDE/

and by the Industrial Development Council /CDI/.

With the explanations given by the government, it has remained clear that

foreign enterprises interested in working in the computer field will be able

to utilize one of the three following possibilities: to enter with 100 percent foreign capital; to enter with minority Brazilian participation or

finally to put Brazilian capital in a majority position. It was pointed

14
out that IBM , for example, will not lose anything if it should by chance

present a project with 100 percent foreign capitalization.

Stable Rules

In agreement with CAPRE, the government has resolved (in the case of large

and medium computers) not to change the "rules of the game" and leave the

norms of a market economy in force. A CAPRE advisor explained that the

authorities will be able in time to make some specific demands such as channeling production toward the foreign market.

In the case of a joint venture the Planning Ministry divulged that there is

no official participation in the current negotiations. According to CAPRE,

the initiative was taken by the Japanese spokesman for Fujitsu who were

interested in producing computers in Brazil and who resolved to allow a share

of the stock to national enterprises. The participation or non-participation

of DIGIBRAS and SERPRO, state companies, will be decided upon by applying

market criteria and not depending on an eventual government enterprise for

manufacturing medium-sized computers. One of the reasons given for opening

the medium and large-sized computer sector to foreign capital was the concern

of the government to avoid that Brazil should have in the long run an obsolescent technology in comparison with other countries.

Competition among enterprises will be stimulated by the government. This is

the basic point of the official policy regarding large-size computers,

leaving to one side the demands made in the minicomputer sector, whose reserved market has left the responsibility for domestic production in the

hands of only four enterprises. CAPRE estimates that nearly eight projects

will probably be analyzed in the next three months.

12,116

CSO: 5500

15
BRAZIL

COBRA OFFICIAL SEEKS CAPRE CRITERIA APPLIED THROUGHOUT INDUSTRY

Rio de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRASIL in Portuguese 4 Oct 78 p 19

/Text/ Mr Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Carvalho, the president of COBRA

/Brazilian_Computing Systems/, declared yesterday that the criteria utilized

by CAPRE /Coordinating Commission for Electronic Processing Activities/ to

give authorization to manufacturers of minicomputers should prevail also

for the other segments of the industry. For thajt reason he declared himself

of the favor of the understandings that SERPRO /Federal Data Processing

Service/ and DIGIBRAS /expansion unknown/ are maintaining with Fujitsu for

the manufacture of medium-sized computers as a joint venture.

If the joint venture becomes a reality, with a majority holding of national

capital, the president of COBRA suggests that the government grant protection

to this undertaking, permitting that it not be subjected to foreign competition

for two or three years. He added that what is fundamental in the meantime

is that CAPRE should not approve projects for the manufacture of computers

on the borderline of small-sized equipment.

Foreign Strategy

Mr Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Carvalho stressed that the foreign enterprises

which have not been approved to manufacture minicomputers will initiate a

strategy for penetrating this segment of the market. According to him, the

enterprises are trying to get projects approved for the manufacture of equipment which is on the borderline of the minicomputers, in order to penetrate

this segment of the market through marketing or through technological modifications. In this way, he added, the foreign enterprises are trying to

change the government's model for the manufacture of minicomputers.

The COBRA_president added that the CDE /Economic Development Council/ and

the CDI /Industrial Development Council/ resolutions giving approval to

manufacturers of minicomputers should not only be extended to the remaining

segments of the sector but should also be extended to all of Brazilian industry . He stated that any industrial undertaking should be kept in national

hands, should open its technological package, should have its decision-making

16
center in the country, and should associate with a good receiver of technology

and assume the responsibility of developing other products.

The COBRA president declared that the enterprises authorized to manufacture

minicomputers are facing that segment of the market at this moment, even to

the point of fulfilling the pledge of launching more sophisticated models

with their own technology. In the meantime, COBRA in particular within two

years will be able to plan on manufacturing medium-sized computers. He

agreed that for that purpose the enterprise would have to face serious

difficulties, not only technological but also marketing difficulties. This

is the case since a part of the production would have to be placed on the

foreign market.

Mr Carlos Augusto de Carvalho hopes that CAPRE will define in rather complete

detail the profile of the equipment that may be authorized in the mediumsized computer segment. He declared that there is no universal definition

to characterize some types of that equipment. The criteria must take into

account the price, the appearance and the market for which the computers are

destined. According to him these are subjective criteria and it is for that

reason that they cannot be exclusively defined as definitive norms.

He declared that foreign enterprises which are presenting projects to CAPRE

(IBM, Burroughs and Shayp) are following the strategy of presenting successive claims which apparently conform to CAPRE standards but which in reality

are trying to penetrate the market for minicomputers.

The president of COBRA classified the foreign enterprises in two categories.

The first one comprises those which adapt themselves to the policies of the

host countries. The second one, perhaps because of their commanding position,

are inflexible. He declared that IBM is in the second category as it does

not agree to enter into agreements with national capital. He added that a

persistent government policy will be able to bring the enterprises of the

second group to a greater flexibility and make IBM for example accept association with Brazilian capital.

The president of COBRA signed a sales contract y_esterday with Mr Haroldo

Correira de Mattos, the president of EMBRATEL /Brazilian Communications

Company/, for 10 Cobra-700 computers valued at 64 million cruzeiros which

will be delivered between next November and September of 1979. These computers will serve to enable EMBRATEL to complement the invoicing of intercity connections by DDD, which have doubled in the last two years. Mr Carlos

Augusto de Carvalho emphasized that COBRA is now the third largest computer

enterprise and that next year it plans to be the second, overcoming Burroughs

in invoicing.

12,116

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17
BRAZIL

EMFA SUPPORTS INCENTIVES FOR DIGITAL ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 29 Sep 78 p 28

[Text] Brasilia. The General Staff of the Armed Forces [EMFA] has found

the digital electronic industry to be of interest to national security due

to the conditions under which it is used. The General Staff defended the establishment of incentives for its greater development. This information was

announced yesterday by the assistant of the Electronic Processing Activity

Coordinating Commission [CAPRE], Engineer Maj Jorge Monteiro Fernandes.

According to him, EMFA is supporting the establishment of incentives for industry so that it may enjoy real competitive conditions. In this way it can

compete with the multinationals.

Maj Jorge Monteiro Fernandes added "if conditions are not established so that

the digital electronic industry can create new products, it will continue to

depend on foreign technological sources."

He declared that "the great challenge is to buy technology only once and

then be able not to buy it the second time. In that way Brazilian-made products will start with a technological level comparable to that of the foreign

products."

Foreign Dependence

The EMFA advisor added that "so that national industry may avoid depending

on foreign technology in a second stage, it becomes necessary to create a

mechanism for stimumlation in the tax area, as well as effective exchange

between industry and the universities."

He emphasized the importance of this exchange for the training of high-level

personnel which an industry that must create an autonomous technology naturally needs.

EMFA Not Alone

EMFA is accompanying the development of the four Brazilian digital electronics enterprises which are responsible for taking care of the national minicomputer market: COBRA [Brazilian Computing Systems]-Computers and Brazilian

18
Systems Inc., of Rio; ADISA [expansion unknown] of Rio Grande do Sul; SID

[expansion unknown], of Curitiba; and LABO [expansion unknown] of Sao Paulo.

Major Monteiro Fernandes divulged that by the end of the year the ADISA, SID

and LABO enterprises should begin the production of minicomputers with licensed models. ADISA will begin with Japanese technology from Fujitsu; SID,

with French technology from Logaba and LABA will begin with German technology

from Nixdorf.

The current production of COBRA: the Cobra-400 and Cobra-700 because of absorbed foreign technology from Ferranti (English) and Sycon (American) are

very good.

Military Interest

Major Monteiro Fernandes mentioned the fact that in other countries also,

such as France, the United States, Federal Germany and England, the digital

electronics industry is considered of military interest and is a factor in

national security. This is explained by the diverse employment of minicomputers in a number of sectors, such as medicine, nuclear power generation,

warships, long-range airplanes, the control of industrial processes, control

of production and electrical energy distribution systems, transit and armaments among other uses.

EMFA, as it places the digital electronic industry among those of military

interest or importance to national security, according to Engineer Maj

Monteiro Fernandes, has considered one more important characteristic: its

capacity to strengthen national power. The advisor further emphasized "the

creation of domestic technology, which has happened in the case of EMBRAER

[Brazilian Aeronautics Company], which is a good example for the digital

electronics industry to follow."

"EMBRAER," he declared, "was born from the labor of a group of researchers

in the Aerospace Technical Center who, together with the product of their

research, created an industry. The example of EMBRAER has already been followed in the digital electronics industry field with the growth of EMBRACOMP

[expansion unknown], where both the product and the enterprise are the result of research carried on by the nucleus of electronic computation in the

Coordination of Post-Graduate Programs in Engineering of the Federal University

of Rio de Janeiro [COPPE-UFRJ]. Another similar example is that of the Parks

enterprise which came out of research performed in the Federal University of

Rio de Janeiro.

12,116

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19
BRAZIL

EMBRATEL TO INSTALL SEVEN STATIONS IN AMAZON REGION

Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 24 Sep 78 p 20

[Text] By the end of 1980, EMBRATEL [Brazilian Telecommunications Company]

will install seven tracking stations in the Amazon region. These stations

will receive telephone and television services directly from the INTESAT satellites. The stations will have antennas 10 meters in diameter. They will

cover the municipalities of Cruzeiro do Sul, Santarem, Altamira, Tabatinga,

Tefe, Coari and Itaituba, the largest nuclei of population in the region.

These municipalities are still not integrated into the national telecommunications system.

According to EMBRATEL, this will be the first series of stations equipped with

Brazilian-made antennas. Before them, a prototype had been tested in Macapa

station. It was inaugurated shortly before the World Cup, with good results.

Each one of the tracking stations will cost nearly 20 million cruzeiros and

will perform its function by means of the satellite. The satellite will send

its signals to the EMBRATEL towers in Itaborai, in the state of Rio de Janeiro,

for national or international distribution. An experiment like this one, utilizing an international traffic satellite for domestic services, has only been

carried out by Canada. That country, like Brazil, would like to make up for

the lack of terrestrial means of communication.

In Brazil, the necessity of installing this type of station came up when the

government cancelled the installation of the domestic Brazilian satellite.

12,116

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20
BRAZIL

AFRICAN PROPOSAL FOR PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FROM INTELSAT

Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 8 Oct 78 p 46

[Text] Brazil will not support the proposal of five African countries to

obtain preferential treatment from INTELSAT for communication services via

satellite for the developing countries and the creation of a fund for the

purchase of equipment. The position of the Brazilian delegation is that the

supplying of resources should be a task of the international organizations

which finance development projects.

The subject will be debated in the Third Assembly of the parties belonging

to INTELSAT, which will begin tomorrow in Rio. Communications Minister

Quandt de Oliviera will open the meeting, where 70 delegations from the

organization's member countries will be present. Brazil also represents

the interests of Portugal and Paraguay in this assembly.

The proposal for preferential treatment will be presented by the ministers

of communications of Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Kenya, Uganda, and the Central

African Empire. The Brazilian position contrary to the proposal is justified

by the fact that a reduction in rates would imply a loss in income, damaging

the users of the organization themselves. The creation of the fund does not

have Brazilian support either, because it would subsidize the purchase of

equipment that is only produced by the developed countries.

Brazil now holds 4.23 percent of the shares of the INTELSAT system, which

correspond to the same number of votes for judging the proposals presented,

and it is exceeded in number of shares only by the United States, England and

France.

12,116

CSO: 5500

21
BRAZIL

SIEMENS WINS BIDDING FOR TELEX TERMINALS

Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 29 Sep 78 p 28

[Text] The Siemens company of Germany, associated with the Brazilian Electronic Equipment Company, Inc., recently acquired by the Abramo Eberle Group

have been the winners of the international competition to manufacture electronic teleprinters (telex terminals) in Brazil. This information was divulged yesterday in Brazil by Romulo Villar Furtado, interim minister of

communications. The minister explained that Sagem, Inc. had been announced

as the winner, but since its prices were very high it was replaced by the

winner of second place.

The winner does not have a definite deadline to begin manufacturing the teleprinters. However, as soon as it begins its work - the minister revealed

— the new group will manufacture 6,000 teleprinters in the first 2 years

and they will be acquired by TELEBRAS [Brazilian Telecommunications Corporation] at the price of 80,000 cruzeiros per unit.

When the 2 first years have passed, TELEBRAS will reserve 50 percent of

its market for 3 more years only for teleprinters of the new group. At the

end of those 5 years, TELEBRAS will suspend any reservation of the market

and Abramo will then acquire 70 percent of its shares.

Communications Satellite

The minister further divulged that Brazil, through its Space Activities

Commission is maintaining understandings with the French Agency of Technology

for investigation in the sector of space rockets capable of launching satellites of the Intelsat type. He denied that Brazil intends to acquire French

rockets of the Ariadne type. 4 n

12,116

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22
CUBA

TELEPHONE SERVICE EXPANSION IN HOLGUIN

Havana JUVENTUD REBELDE in Spanish 22 Sep 78 p 2

[Text] Holguin (AIN)—The provincial communications company repeated its

decision to complete, as of December, the installation of the busiest telephone exchange in the country in terms of the number of calls placed.

Surpassed only by its electronic technology, the modern equipment will

expand current service by 600 lines and will allow for one-way, longdistance dialing—from one telephone subscriber to another—between the

capitals of Holguin, Havana, and Santiago de Cuba.

The new exchange is an ATZ-65, purchased from the German Democratic

Republic with a cross bars system and a technology considered to be one

of the most sophisticated in the field of telephone communications.

The provincial communications company believes that within 3 months of its

installation it will replace and expand service now being handled in the

capital city by an automatic, Hungarian-made, 2,400-line capacity exchange.

Unlike other systems in the nation, the phone system being installed by

the Ministry of Communications and its Assembly and Installation Company

has several networks of subscribers, in other words equipment linking

subscribers to the main exchange.

In addition to increasing Holguin's telephone capacity and guaranteeing more

efficient service, it will contribute to maintaining existing long-distance

dialing to Las Tunas and will allow for new, one-way direct communication

between Holguin and Havana and Havana and Santiago de Cuba during the

initial phase.

The installation of 400 new ATZ-65 lines are also expected for late 1978 in

the Moa exchange, which will largely absorb the demand for service resulting

from increased population and industrial development in this city. Moa is

located in the northeastern part of the province, where Cuba's great nickel

reserves are found.

23
The provincial communications company's plans include direct calls—in

both directions—between the municipalities of Banes and Antillas and the

town of Deleite, whose rates would be determined in terms of distance.

This means that more phone subscribers can call simultaneously and establish communication.

9189

CSO: 5500

24
CUBA

BRIEFS

DIRECT TELEPHONE LINKS—The capitals of Camaguey, Holguin and Guantanamo

provinces will have phone service to Havana by the end of 1978 through

a long-distance dialing system whereby one dials 07 followed by the

desired number. This work, carried out by the management of the Assembly

and Installation Enterprise of the Ministry of Communications, is being

undertaken in cooperation with the government, provincial communications

enterprises, and other state agencies. The new, automatic communications

system with Havana is already operating in Pinar del Rio, Bauta, Artemisa,

Guanabo, Nueva Gerona, Matanzas, Varadero, Jaguey Grande, Villa Clara,

Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, and Bayamo. [Text]

[Havana JUVENTUD REBELDE in Spanish 18 Sep 78 p 1] 9189

FIRST HOLGUIN TV PROGRAM—Holguin (AIN)—Studio Two of the eastern television system located in this city will air its first program on 7 October,

according to agreements signed between ICRT [Cuban Institute of Radio and

Television] and several agencies in Holguin Province. The modern studio

has three rooms of Soviet-make—a video room, an audio and music room,

and a telecinema room. Its first program will be news and music. [Text]

[Havana GRANMA in Spanish 25 Sep 78 p 4] 9189

CSO: 5500

25
URUGUAY

BRIEFS

ANTEL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSESSMENT--Part of a National Telecommunications

Administration (ANTEL) delegation, which had gone to Europe at the

invitation of a German company, has returned to our country. The mission

consisted of agency President General (Retired) Juan F. Miguez,

Director Cr. Hugo F. Aguiar, and two agency engineering specialists.

It has been reported that the Uruguayan technicians had a chance to

assess modern telecommunications equipment and various advances in this

field in Germany as well as in France. In any event, conclusions and

possible favorable gains, which may have,been accomplished during their

short journey through the "old" continent, will be unknown until the

arrival of the two engineers who decided to extend their stay in Germany.

[Text] [Montevideo EL DIA in Spanish 16 Oct 78 p 7]

CSOr. 5500

26
INTER-ARAB AFFAIRS

ARAB ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE TO BE LAUNCHED IN 1980

Kuwait AL-RA'Y AL-'AMM in Arabic 24 Jun 78 p 5

[Article by Hisham Talib: "Representative of Arab Broadcasting Stations

Federation to AL-RA'Y AL-'AMM: Arab Artificial Satellite Will Be Launched

in 1980; We Have Three Reception Centers in Kuwait, Jordan and Morocco;

Artificial Satellite To Cover Arab Area in Terms of Information; We have

No Connection With Clandestine Stations in Lebanon; We Are Trying to Confirm

Our Membership in European Broadcasting Stations Federation; Arab Information Has Become Unemotional and Unimproved; Representative of Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation States to AL-RA'y AL-'AMM: We Cooperate With

All Radios and Exchange News Daily"]

[Text] Muhammad Tariq 'Abd-al-Qadir, the representative of the Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation, has asserted that 1980 will witness the launching of the first Arab artificial satellite which will be able to perform

numerous services to the Arab area at the level of communications by linking the telecommunications networks.

In an interview with AL-RA'Y AL-'AMM, 'Abd-al-Qadir has stated that the

launching of the Arab artificial satellite will enable us to transmit all

kinds of programs to the Arab world and to exchange such programs between

the Arab states and the outside world. We can also use the satellite in

the sphere of illiteracy eradication and Arabization because it covers the

entire Arab area.

Speaking about the sides participating in the Arab artificial satellite

project, 'Abd-al-Qadir said:

The Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation is responsible for preparing the

study on programming, and the General Secretariat has completed the study

on the Arab space network and will present this study to the General Assembly at the meeting which will be held in Riyadh at the outset of 1978 [presumably meaning 1979].

27
The technical aspect is the responsibility of the Arab Telecommunications

Federation. This federation has almost completed the technical studies,

and the project will be integrated by the outset of next year.

It is worth noting here that our Arab experts have shown extraordinary

skill in preparing the studies on the project. What we hope for is that

contracts will be concluded to launch the satellite at the right time.

He said: Our goals after completion of the project would be to implement

the transmission of educational programs. This step must be preceded by

unification of the curricula in the Arab countries. This issue is the

responsibility of the Arab Education, Culture and Science Organization.

Birth of Federation

In the course of his interview with AL-RA'Y AL-'AMM, 'Abd-al-Qadir answered

a number of questions concerning the Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation

and its work. He pointed out that the idea of establishing the federation

emerged at the Arab League Council in 1954 and that committees were formed

to study the idea and the means and methods to establish the federation.

This study continued for a long time and until the Arab League secretary

general called for the convocation of the first constituent assembly in

1969 when the federation was started in Khartoum with seven countries. It

now includes 21 countries as members and is considered one of the organizations operating within the framework of the Arab League.

Concerning the federation's agencies, 'Abd-al-Qadir said that the federation

consists of the General Secretariat which is headquartered in Cairo, the

Engineering Center in Khartoum, the Arab Radio and Television Training Center in Damascus, the Arab Agency for News Exchange and the Permanent Programming Committee. The most important spheres in which the federation operates

are the holding of training courses, issuing publications, holding internatinal

conferences and coordinating between the Arab organizations and radio and

television stations, in addition to its interest and work in the sphere of

space [communications].

Cooperation and Coordination

Concerning cooperation between the Arab broadcasting stations, he said: The

General Assembly holds an annual meeting in the Arab League member countries

according to their alphabetical order. This meeting is attended by the heads

of the Arab radio and television stations who agree in such meetings to formulate general policies in the sphere of cooperation and coordination between

them and between them and the other broadcasting federations, such as the

European, African and Asian broadcasting federations.

After the meetings are concluded, the General Secretariat begins to draw up

the executive formulas for implementation of the resolutions through cooperation between the Arab radio and television stations, as well as between them

and others in all parts of the world.

28
Asked about the most important forms of coordination between the broadcasting

stations, the representative of the Arab Radios Federation said: One of the

forms of coordination is the fact that during the Montreal athletic meet last

year, we were able to impose the proper transmission prices through the federation.

Three Arab Reception Centers

We also have three news centers in the Arab homeland, namely:

The ground reception station in Morocco which covers the Arab Maghreb countries and permits the exchange of news.

In the Arab East, there is a station in Amman and another in Umm al-'Aysh

in Kuwait for the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. This makes it possible

to exchange news between the Arab East, the Arab Maghreb and the Gulf.

This is a big operation and an enormous responsibility, especially since

the three centers exchange information immediately.

He said that the first joint transmission by Arab radios took place in 1975-76

when the pilgrimate rituals were transmitted from Saudi Arabia to all the

Arab countries. This is an experience that we are eager to implement [presumably meaning to repeat].

Lebanon and Arab East Television Company

Speaking about the number of radio and television stations operating in the

Arab homeland, Tariq 'Abd-al-Qadir said: All the stations operating in the

Arab countries are official government stations, except for the Lebanon and

Arab East Television Company.

The radio stations are all official stations, except for the radios of Somalia,

Mauritania and Palestine.

The number of stations we deal with is 17 television stations and 21 radio

stations.

Clandestine Stations

Regarding the federation's position toward the clandestine and unofficial

radios that transmit in Lebanon, he said: We are not concerned with them

because we deal with governments. It is natural for us not to deal with

unofficial broadcasting stations.

The federation has appealed to the Lebanese Ministry of Information to unify

Lebanese information after the regrettable events.

European Federation

29
Answering a question on the Arab Federation's relations with the international

federations, he said: We have been able to lay down strong and firm bases

with the Federation of European Broadcasting Stations, especially in the

sphere of news.

The Arab countries receive a daily message from the Eurovision through

artificial satellites. Our relations with the European Broadcasting Federation is good, especially in the sphere of coordination between the Arab broadcasting stations on the one hand and the active stations [sic] and the European federation on the other hand.

He also said that the European federation is eager to attend all the meetings

of the Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation as an observer. We are also

eager to attend its conferences in the same capacity, keeping in mind that

more than one Arab country is a member of the European federation and we are

trying to confirm these countries as basic members.

What applies to the European Broadcasting Stations Federation also applies

to the Federation of Asian and African Broadcasting Stations. The General

Secretariat has submitted a study to draw up the bases for broadcasting cooperation between the Arab and African countries through the Afro-Arab dialogue. The federation has adopted the General Secretariat's memorandum and

is now putting this study into implementation.

Items of Cooperation

The most important item of this study is an exploration of the needs of the

African countries in the sphere of training programs. He added: We, as a

General Secretariat, are eager to supply Africa, in response to its wishes,

with its needs of Arab experts and of equipment and other resources in cooperation with the Arab Fund for African Aid which is controlled by the Arab

League.

Various Activities

Regarding the activities of the Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation, he

said that the federation will organize special training courses to prepare

cadres trained for radio and television work in the African countries.

As for the latest activities of the federation, we organized last June the

second international seminar for world-wide news in Cairo. All the international broadcasting federations and organizations concerned took part in

this seminar.

This seminar was held to study laying down the bases for information exchange

between countries of the world and to discuss the best means to guarantee

the flow of information between them.

30
At the Arab level, we have the Palestine film and program festival [next]

March. Last August, we organized the Arab song festival in Damascus. The

festival was held under the slogan of developing the Arab song. This festival will be held in Damascus once every 2 years.

We are also awaiting the big event in the first third of next year when the

third international festival for Palestine programs will be held.

Training Technical Cadres

Answering a question on the federation's relationship with the first training course held in Kuwait recently to prepare the technical cadres to formulate educational television programs, the representative of the Broadcasting

Federation said:

Regional Broadcasting Conference

In 1975, the Arab Broadcasting Stations Federation called for holding a conference for educational broadcasting stations in the State of Kuwait in coordination and cooperation with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information. This

conference was the first of its kind in the world and it included various

Arab educators and information people. The success of this conference was

an incentive for the European Broadcasting Stations Federation and for the

Arfican Broadcasting Stations Federation to call for similar conferences.

The regional Arab broadcasting stations conference, along with the Arab

Education, Culture and Science Organization, recommended the need for holding

a training course for radio and television stations. Thus cooperative steps

were taken by the federation and the organization and a joint invitation

was issued to hold the training course to prepare the cadres for drawing up

television programs. The course included 14 Arab countries. The course also

had its importance because it was the fruit of joint action and because it

achieved its goals as a result of numerous considerations, including the

personal enthusiasm and interest of the brother trainees. The results of

the course reached the most that could be achieved under conditions in which

we wanted to demonstrate that this course would enable us to learn the aspects

of the needed requirements. Our evaluation of the course will give us the

opportunity to organize other special courses lasting longer periods of time.

The representative said: The future courses can be longer and can be held

in any Arab country.

Successful Broadcaster

As a sidenote, we asked the representative of the Arab Broadcasting Stations

Federation about the qualities of the successful broadcaster. He said: The

successful broadcaster is the one who can skillfully separate his personal

opinion and his way of thinking from what he presents. He is acceptable to

the viewer and the listener and he can create amiability between himself

and his audience through his dress and through the way he addresses the

people. He is also capable of controlling his voice range and his enunciation.

8494 31

CSO: 5500
EGYPT

LASER BEAMS USED TO TRACK SATELLITES

Cairo AL-AHRAM in Arabic 11 Jul 78 p 3

[Text] Cairo has begun to use a laser beam, one of the latest achievements

of science, to observe manmade satellites passing through the sky above Egypt.

Astronomers at Helwan Observatory have announced, after a full year's silence,

the successful use of a laser beam to observe five satellites launched by the

US space agency, which are orbiting the earth at altitudes ranging from 500

to 3,000 kilometers. This is done using a rod of amber [i.e. amber-colored

working medium].

In the satellite observation station of the Helwan Observatory extremely short

pulses of light—the laser—are emitted at the immense speed of light, 300,000

kilometers per second. They then pass through the upper layers of the atmosphere and cross space to strike a satellite, after which they return and are

received by a light detector. By means of an extremely efficient timer it is

possible to measure the speed of light with an accuracy of one-billionth of a

second, and by employing three atomic clocks with an accuracy of one-millionth

of a second and a computer it is possible to determine the distance of the

satellite from the station, and thus its orbit, with great accuracy.

In the first place, according to Dr Muhammad Fahim, the director of the observation station, there are dozens of satellites, launched since 1957» the year in

which the invasion of space began; they revolve around the earth in different

ordits and paths and for different purposes. If we leave aside the military

satellites launched by the major powers for the purpose of spying on one another, the majority of satellites have been launched for the purpose of exploring

outer space or studying atmospheric formations. Some of them are orbiting the

earth at the same speed as that with which it rotates about its axis, so that

they would seem fixed and immobile to an observer. These are a type of satellite used in radio communications and the transmission of television programs.

There is another type of satellite which contains extremely accurate photographic equipment and electronic instruments for producing images of what is on the

surface of the earth, or inside it, for the purpose of studying its geology

and subsurface water content or changes occurring in its agricultural lands.

32
From its unique geographic position, Egypt has successfully begun the process

of satellite observation. It began with optical imaging, then proceeded to

photography and to television and radio imaging, with the laser beam coming

into use most recently.

Movement of the Fissures Between Continents

Accordingly, satellites and space ships have opened up new horizons in the

study of the earth and the cosmos which surrounds it; for the practical problems which are posed for science are connected with the capabilities and the

development of the equipment that is available to the scientists in their studies. When the laser began to be used in the Helwan station to observe and

track satellites, the error in determining the distance of the satellite from

the station ranged from 25 to 90 centimeters. This was an extremely small relative error in the calculations. But success in making observations of this

degree of accuracy is inspiring studies concerning the placement of a survey

network to be used in determining distances and positions on the earth and in

making maps, as well as making possible the study of the gravitational force

with an appropriate accuracy. However, the above level of precision did not

enable the scientists to study the shape of the earth, the movement of the

poles, the rotation of the earth around its axis, stratigraphic formations

within the earth or the dynamics of tectonic movements with sufficient accuracy, since all of these require an error within 10 centimiters. This has stimulated the Egyptian scientists to improve the accuracy and operation of the

station by developing its equipment. Their aim is to arrive at a maximum relative error of 2 centimeters, which would enable them to study the movement of

the fissures between continents.

A Death Ray Used to Observe Satellites

What sort of a station, then, is this Helwan station, which uses a laser to

observe satellites?

As described by Dr Bulaygh Bisharah, a researcher at the Helwan Observatory,

it consists of a transmitter which makes use of an amber rod to emit the extremely short pulses of laser light. They are sent out at the speed of light,

300,000 kilometers per second. Owing to their energy of movement they are able

to penetrate the upper atmosphere surrounding the earth without danger of being

scattered, thanks to their intensity and the shortness of the wavelength. They

continue until they strike the satellite at which they are aimed, and on the

surface of which there are reflectors which return them once more to the station to be received by the light detector. By using an extremely efficient

timer it is possible to measure the speed of light with an accuracy down to

one-billionth of a second (called a nanosecond by the scientists), so that they

can determine the time the wave takes to travel through space and return to the

station. When the speed of the laser light is known it is possible to determine

the distance of the satellite from the station by using an electronic computer.

The laser is known to have extremely high power. It attains 70 megawatts, thus

amounting to a killer beam, or (as it is branded) a death ray. It is cooled by

a special cooling apparatus.

33
A Beam in Amber

According to Engineer 'AM al-Rahman Fatah Allah, who is in charge of maintenance of the station, the laser beam is produced in the station by shining a

beam of light from a special electric lamp located in a special silvered tube

on an amber rod that is in the tube. The beams coming from the lamp and the

silvered wall are focused on the rod and the energy of the atoms in the rod is

raised to a second level. When the population of these atoms proliferates at

the second level there occurs what the scientists call a "population explosion,"

emitting a laser beam, which is measured before and after the observation to

determine the effect of atmospheric factors—humidity, temperature and pressure—on it.

Engineer Fatah Salam, the deputy in charge of maintenance of the station, added

that the apparatus for measuring the speed of light requires advanced atomic

clocks, whose purpose is to time the observation process according to the time

in the US, where the main atomic clock for the measurement of world time is

located. In addition the station is equipped with three atomic clocks which

measure time with an accuracy down to a millionth of a second. They are compared twice a year with the main atomic clock. The station is currently following an international program of observation of satellites crossing the sky

over Egypt. Young Egyptian scientists are currently engaged in observing five

satellites which pass over Cairo every day: Geos 1, Geos 3, Beacon 2, Skylab

and Aegeus, the largest in size. The reports produced by the Egyptian station

are sent by Telex to the data collection center for space research in the US

Smithsonian Institution as well as to research centers in Paris and Moscow.

A Link Between Africa and Europe

The Egyptian scientists have been able to make use of their observations to

draw up a survey network by means of which Africa is linked to Europe for the

first time. Dr Mahar Ya'qub, a researcher at the Helwan Observatory, says that

this study is in accordance with a world program to study the shape of the

earth and the changes which occur in the movement of its axis. Egypt is participating in this process through the survey network of five stations and by

linking these stations with others in Europe: the stations are in Helwan and

Khartoum, in Chad, Mali and Somalia. The Egyptain research involves photographic observation of Aegeus, a large satellite with a diameter of 30 meters,

Midas 3, Midas 7 and Discoverer 19- These observations have occupied the Helwan

station for five years, beginning in 1972. It is significant that the error in

drawing up the survey network does not exceed 5 to 20 meters. This means that

it is possible to determine the distance between Cairo and Khartoum with an

error not exceeding 20 meters. It is important that the next step is reliance

on observation of satellites by laser so as to develop the survey network and

attain higher accuracy in determining the coordinates of the five stations and

the distances between them.

The Helwan Station—A Common Element

Dr Yahya al-Halali, a researcher at the Helwan Observatory, says that the Egyptian station for the observation of satellites has, by virtue of its location,

great importance in the observation process, being the only station which links

34
Africa to Europe, where satellites proceed from the north toward the equator;

it also participates with the African stations in observing the satellites

which proceed from the southern hemisphere toward the equator. Thus it is a

connecting station and a common factor between the African and European

stations.

From this unique location it has studied the reflection of the sun's rays from

the earth and their effect on the movement of satellites, and has confirmed

the existence of a considerable effect on the movement of satellites resulting

from the resistance of the atmosphere at altitudes greater than 1,200 kilometers. In accordance with the results of the Egyptain investigations a new

analytical theory has been developed according to which the rays of the sun

reflected from the earth affect the orbits of satellites; this vital factor

must be taken into account in the launching of satellites and in determining

their orbits.

8W0

CSO: 5500

35
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS

REPORTAGE ON PAN-AFTEL REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Seychelles Delegation

Victoria NATION in English 23 Sep 78 p 2

[Text] A three-man Seychelles delegation leaves early tomorrow for Lesotho,

where they will represent the Republic at the 13th Pan-Aftel Southern and

East Africa Regional Conference.

The conference, which deals with international communications in the area,

was held in Mahe last year.

As a result the leader of the Seychelles party, Mr Antonio Beaudoin, will

chair the opening of the conference before handing over to the Lesotho delegates.

Mr Beaudoin, Chief Information Officer of the Republics Information Services will also deliver the official report on last year's conference in

Seychelles.

He will be accompanied in Maseru by Mr Peter Hollands, General Manager of

Cable and Wireless Ltd and Mr Pierre de Comarmond, Manager, Commercial

Operations, with the same company.

While at the week-long conference, Mr de Comarmond will present a paper on

quality control on semi-automatic telephone operations.

The party will return to Seychelles a week tomorrow.

Exchange of Information

Victoria NATION in English 28 Sep 78 pp 1, 2

[Text] The 13th annual regional telecommunications conference in Lesotho

provides an excellent opportunity for a full exchange of technical and objective information, said the leader of the Seychelles delegation,

Mr Antonio Beaudoin, when the conference opened this week.

36
Mr Beaudoin, Chief Information Officer with the Seychelles Information

Services, was speaking before handing over the chairmanship of the PanAftel Conference to the host nation.

Last year's conference was held in Seychelles, and Mr Beaudoin also presented to delegates in Maseru the chairman's report from that meeting.

After thanking the Lesotho Government for acting in the capacity of host

this year, Mr Beaudoin said he wished to convey to members a short message

from the Government of Seychelles, and he reminded them of what the Minister of Administration and Information, Mr James Michel, had said when he

opened last year's conference.

"He stressed the need to reduce as soon as possible and eventually to

eradicate completely the dependence of African and Third countries upon

the large industrialised nations in the field of telecommunications," said

Mr Beaudoin.

"He also spoke of the great need to do away with sensationalism and innacurate reporting of events in Africa which can only be detrimental to the

stability of the Continent.

"He spoke too of the need to set up as soon as possible an independent

telecommunications network between all the African countries of this area.

"And he spoke of the need for the fullest exchange of technical and objective information between our countries," said Mr Beaudoin. "This

Conference provides an excellent opportunity for such exchanges, both in

the conference room and outside."

However, Mr Beaudoin stressed, the process must continue between conferences .

"To this end," he continued, "during the course of the year, the Government of Seychelles held useful and meaningful talks with a delegation

from the Republic of Tanzania, which ended in an agreement for the establishment of a direct satellite link between the two countries.

Objective

"Similar and associated projects are being developed between other countires represented at this Conference.

"In this way, we move closer to our goal--closer to political freedom,

economic freedom, political equality."

Mr Beaudoin ended his chairman's report by once again reminding delegat

of some words from Minister Michel's keynote speech last year:

es

37
"The development and perfection of technology in the field of telecommunications must have one prime objective. It must serve the interest of the

people, otherwise it will lose its true perspective and become something

abstract in the lives and realities of the people."

European Transit Hit

Victoria NATION in English 2 Oct 78 p 2

[Text] "We have lived too long with the common, but nevertheless ridiculous situation whereby communications by telephone, telegraph and telex

between two neighbouring African countries must still transit through a

European country," the Lesotho Minister of Transport and Communications,

Mr Peete N. Peete, told delegates at last week's Pan-Aftel Conference in

Maseru.

"Such a situation will be

completely unacceptable after

this decade," he told representatives of 10 countries, including Seychelles.

The Republic was represented by a three-strong delegation, headed by Mr. Antonio

Beaudoin Chief Information

Officer, who was accompanied

by Mr. Peter Hollands, General Manager of Cable and

Wireless Ltd, and Mr. Pierre

de Commarmond, Manager

(Commercial Operations)

with the same company.

Delegates were also addressed by Mr. R. M. Yusuf,

Assistant Secretary-General

of the newly formed PanAfrican Telecommuncations

Union (PATU) and Mr. C.

Amira, the representative of

the Union of National Radio

and Television Organisations

in Africa (URTNA).

The PATU official said the

organisation's headquarters

had been established in

Zaire. He spoke of the progress made so far in the setting-up of this new body to

safeguard Africa's interests

in the telecommunications

field.

Mr. Amira said URTNA

played an important role in

the development of the mass

media in Africa. He said

there was need for close coordination and collaboration

between the telecommunications administrations and

broadcasting organisations of

Africa and URTNA and

PATU.

Among the decisions taken

by the conference, which represented the Southern and

Eastern region of Pan-Aftel

(the Pan-African Telecommunications Organisation),

were :

• that URTNA, PATU, the

International Telecommunications Union .and the PanAfrican News Agency liaise

closely to ensure adequate

planning of programmes and

information dissemination

between themselves and their

member organisations;

• that national committees

be formed to co-ordinate the

views of the various national

departments interested in the

forthcoming World Radio

Administrative Conference;

• that there should be greater co-ordination among African sub-regions to co-ordinate

their work in defining future

satellite circuit requirements

for inter-African telecommunications ;

• that the ITU organise

urgently further seminars on

operations and maintenance

of the Pan-Aftel networks;

• that the reports of the conference be translated into

French and distributed to the

French-speaking administrations of the sub-regiön as

well as to PATU for their information.

As well as the Seychelles

delegation, who arrived back

in the Republic yesterday,

there were representatives

from Lesotho, Kenya, Botswana, Malawi, Uganda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Mozambique

and Mauritius, who will host

next year's conference.

38

CSÖ: 5500
ETHIOPIA

SATELLITE EARTH STATION BEING ESTABLISHED IN SULULTA

Addis Ababa THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD in English 14 Oct 78 pp 1, 5

[Text]

The Ethiopian Telecommunication Service is establishing

a satellite earth station at a cost of 10.5 million Birr in Sululta

area, 17 kms north of here on the way to Gotfam, Ato Goshu

Abebe, manager of the radio division, told the Ethiopian Herald.

Ato Goshu revealed that the establish- tions, the quality of transmission is not

ment of the satellite earth station is un- reliable, he stated.

derway and about two-third of the work Furthermore, Ato Goshu continued

is already completed. The task is being that the equipment and spare parts of the

done by the Nepon Electric Company, HF radio system is not available in the

a Japanese firm in accordance to the former manufacturing establishments

contract signed on October 15, 1977. since most countries are using the satelExplaining the aims and objectives of lite system. Besides, since Addis Ababa

establishing the satellite earth station, the is a site of various international organ!-

manager of the division said that, for a zations, it is the desire of the Ethiopian

long period of time, the service has been Telecommunications Service to render

making use of High Frequency (HF) efficient and qualitative means of cornradio system for international means of munication facilities, he noted,

communication. The HF radio system is When the satellite earth station Nsnot at present suitable and adequate to comes operational, the manager of the

give efficient and qualitative services division added, the circuit is expected to

for international communications. Since be three fold and thus the international

the HF radio system changes in quality traffic will increase highly. In addition

of performances due to weather condi39
CSO: 5500

lo the .services given curlier by the use

of the radio system such as telephone,

telax and telegram, the new station will

have the capacity to serve as a television

receptionist from any part of the world

where there are similar satellite earth

stations, Ato Goshu further revealed.

To master the know-how for the operation and maintenance of this technology he pointed out that seven members

of the staff have been sent for training.

lo Japan. Others are also receiving training by the contractors at the spot. The

necessary equipment has already arrived

from Japan and installation will begin

next month. By May, 1979, the newly

established satellite earth station is expected to be operational. Ato Goshu

concluded.

40
SEYCHELLES

NEW AUTOMATIC TELEX EXCHANGE INAUGURATED

Victoria NATION in English 11 Oct 78 pp 1, 2

[Text] The Minister for Administration and Information, Mr James Michel,

returned temporarily to his former job as an operator with Cable and Wireless when he took over the keyboard yesterday to transmit the inaugural

message on the first automatic telex exchange in Seychelles.

Addressing Mr Richard Cannon, managing director of Cable and Wireless in

London, the Minister described the introduction of the improved service as

an indication of the faith the company had in the future of Seychelles.

"It is also, I suggest," the message went on, "a response to a real demand

from the business world which shares this confidence.

"On behalf of the Government, I congratulate and thank Cable and Wireless

for the installation of this greatly improved communication facility."

Mr Cannon, in his message, said the opening of the new service was "another

milestone in the progress of Seychelles communications, and evidence of the

increasing prosperity and development of your country."

He told the Minister, "It gives us great pleasure to continue to be of

service to Seychelles with the considerable support and encouragement of

your Government."

The general manager of Cable and Wireless in Seychelles, Mr Peter Hollands,

said the main feature of the new exchange was the computerisation of the

switching operation.

This means the individual subscriber can now place his own call--to subscribers in more than 130 countries--without having to go via an operator

at the Cable and Wireless office, which could be a laborious, long drawn

out performance.

41
In addition, the new equipment is capable of dealing with up to 55 calls

at a time, which avoids the possibility of having to wait.

"Another bonus for the customer is that with this, equipment there is a

minimum charge for one minute, that is RS. 20 to London, for example

whereas before the minimum was three minutes," said Mr Hollands.

"You can transmit 66 words in one minute, and it's obviously cheaper than

having to pay for three minutes when you have only a short message to send."

That subscribers—mainly Government departments, hotels and local businesses—agree is shown by the fact that the calling rate has doubled in the

10 days the new system has been in use.

There has also been increased interest in joining the telex 'club' since

the arrival of the new exchange was announced a month ago.

At present Cable and Wireless have 82 subscribers in Seychelles —including

three on Praslin and one on La Digue--and the last few weeks have brought

two more firm orders and half a dozen enquiries.

"The system is capable of being expanded to take up to 720 people," said

Mr Hollands, "so there is no problem in accommodating new customers."

Cable and Wireless have just completed a 10-day training programme to

teach subscribers how to operate the machines themselves, and some 200

people attended.

After the inaugural call Mr Hollands and Mr Pierre de Commarmond, Commercial Operations Manager with Cable and Wireless, explained to the Minister

and his Permanent Secretary, Mr A. G. Mackellar, some of the benefits of

the new scheme.

They were then shown the exchange itself, and its intricacies were explained by Mr Gerry Beyer, who was in charge of the installation, and

Mr Steve Price.

CSO: 5500

42
SATELLITE, LANDLINE LINKS EXTEND TADZHIKISTAN TV COVERAGE

Moscow PRAVDA in Russian 25 Oct 78 p 6 LD

[Nonstaff correspondent D. Chernysh commentary: "Space Reality"]

[Text] Dushanbe, 24 Oct—Aleksandr Kozlov's special team of construction

workers from the Moscow region has embarked on turning the radio and

technical equipment of the new "Orbita-2" receiving station.

An antenna system with a parabolic reflector has been installed on a

mountain pass. The first television program from Moscow—currently Moscow

programs are transmitted by overland wires—will soon be received on the

new relay via the "Raduga" satellite link.

"From next year," L. Avnukov, Tadzhik Deputy Minister of Communications,

told us, "'Orbita-2' will permit viewers in our republic to watch four

channels from the capital."

Television is a long-standing institution in the life of this mountainous

region. On the eve of the 60th Anniversary of Great October a relay was

established between Khorog, capital of Gorno-Badakhshanskaya oblast, and

Moscow using an "Orbita-2" station. Television broadcasts can now be seen

up in the clouds in the kishlaks of the Soviet pamir.

By the end of the five-year plan inhabitants of outlying regions of Karategin

will be able to watch television. Communications workers are laying a relay

line there from Dushanbe. Construction workers at the big Rogunskaya ges

on the Vakhsh River and farmers and stockmen in high mountain regions will

shortly be able to receive two programs.

A relay line currently under construction in northern Tadzhikistan will extend the zone of reliable television reception from Moscow and Dushanbe

into regions of Leninabadskaya oblast.

CSO: 5500

43
FRANCE

DGT POLICY ON OPTICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEFINED

Paris ELECTRONIQUE ACTUALIZES in French 6 Oct 78 pp 1, 8

/Article by D. Leyy7

/fext7 The PTT telephone and Postal Services7 plan for the introduction of

optical telecommunications is launched. After the selection of Thomson-CSF

/Thomson-General Wireless Company_7 for the construction of the first experimental hookup using optical wires, the installation, scheduled for July 1980,

will be followed by a 1-year trial run at the end of which a check will be

made on its technical aspects as well as on its possibilities for exploitation. Then, or at the end of 1980, simultaneously with the trial runs, the

industrial development of the optical system will be launched; this could be

introduced into the networks of large urban centers before 1985. This technical approach to optical telecommunications is being finalized through the

elaboration of an industrial policy aimed at controlling the manufacture of

optical wire and components in France so that they may be available to all

our manufacturers for domestic needs as well as for export.

The DAII /expansion unknown/ Conference on the optical-wire experimental hookup installed between two Paris exchanges (Tuileries and Philippe Auguste) will

mark a turning point in the involvement of telecommunications in this technique. "This initiative," it is explained at the DAII Conference, "was conceived with the aim of stimulating our builders and aiding our manufacturers

to become aware of the interest inherent in optical telecommunications. But

it also answers one of the administration's needs over the relatively short

term."

As a matter of fact, large urban centers, Paris foremost, are experiencing the

need to increase the transmitting capacity of their "lines of communication,"

and the services involved in the exploitation of telecommunications, who discern very attractive aspects in optical-wire hookups, want to know if they

will be able to count on this technology as early as 1985. This conference,

arranged by Thomson-CSF, should make it possible to demonstrate the validity

of this solution both on the technical and economic levels. Moreover, needs

are showing up in regard to export and it is to our advantage to make it possible for our manufacturers to capture these markets.

44
Industrial Guarantees

"This experimental hookup," it was said at the DAII Conference, "is the logical result of work undertaken several years ago by GNET ^National Center for

Telecommunications Studies7 in the field of optical telecommunications. Moreover, this organization is continuing its research by exploring all resources

of this technology (particularly the search for new optical 'windows' corresponding to slight attenuations of the glass wires, which would make it possible to space the repeaters) and is increasing its technical potential by acquiring a new automatic machine for preparing dies and drawing wire."

"However," it is observed, "if we exclude the 144-wire hookup made by Bell in

the United States, this experimental hookup appears to be the most advanced in

the world and the one nearest to operational exploitation. In fact, it must

be stated that the Paris hookup of ? km will include 60 wires, of which 20 are

operational, and that the cable's overall losses will not exceed h2 db. In

addition, the manufacturer has been required to guarantee proper operation for

1 year with only one breakdown and to assume responsibility for repairing,

within 2k hours, any cable that may have been severed during testing."

The installation of this hookup is scheduled for July 1980 and will be followed

by a 1-year" trial run at the end of which a thorough check will be made in regard to its technical aspects and its possibilities for exploitation, particularly in reference to the life expectancy of the components and the profitability of the operation. We shall then proceed to the phase of industrial development of the optical telecommunications system, which will involve several

manufacturers. Moreover, this development stage could begin as early as the

end of 1980, if the trial runs prove encouraging.

Thomson-CSF has been retained to carry out this experimental hookup due to its

technical criteria, the excellent solution proposed, the cost of engineering

and the fact that most of the components will be purchased from the domestic

market (particularly the optical wire, which will be produced by this group).

"But," it is added at the DAII Conference, "among the proposals submitted we

found others equally Interesting, and we are not excluding new competitive

efforts in regard to other experimental hookups."

Controlling Optical Wire and Laser Diodes

"However," it is explained, "the timeliness of placing a second order depends

primarily on the availability of two components: optical wire and laser diodes.

In regard to optical wire, our objective is to manufacture that product domestically so as to make it available to all French cable ships to satisfy our

domestic needs and also those of export. In this area we want to achieve complete technical, industrial and commercial control and we are aiming at products that give the best performance and cost the least to manufacture." Several solutions are being studied to achieve this objective: the establishment

of an Independent company for making dies, the production by Quartz and Silica

45
(of the Saint-Gobain group in Pont-a-Mousson) of optical wire conceived along

the lines of GNET technology—this could be the source the DAII Conference

wants in considering the world market—or production in France by foreign

firms (Philips has already proposed this). "This approach," it is observed,

"is consistent with Coming's industrial strategy."

The question of availability of optical wire is crucial, when one considers

the future markets it represents. Thus, in addition to hookups between exchanges, we are already contemplating the introduction of optical wire into

local networks as early as 1990; this represents a market 10 times greater

than the preceding (30 million subscribers forecast by that date); and this

will hold true provided optical-wire hookups are less costly than those using

copper. But will not optical wire arrive too late and will it not have to be

content with secondary subscribers and with the replacement market?

In reference to the laser diode (the repeater's principal piece), whose reliability is still in doubt, Thomson-CSF and CGE general Electric Company7 are

presently developing that item. But the DAII Conference is questioning the

industrial future of these components. "We want these products to be available to everyone," the conference emphasizes, "and at the lowest possible price;

and we also want to go after other outlets. The laser diode must not be a

specific PTT component but rather an element of optical-electronic production

using gallium arsenide."

8568

CSO: 5500 END

46