Colombia turns down Russian company bid to design satellite.

BOGOTA, November 22 (Itar-Tass) - The government of Colombia has
declined an offer of Russian JSC Information Satellite Systems to design
and put in orbit the first Colombian satellite, official sources said here
on Saturday.
Colombian Minister of Communication Maria del Rosario Guerra said "the
offer of the Russian company was not accepted, as it does not meet the
specified economic criterion, as well as for technical reasons".
The influential Colombian daily El Tiempo wrote on Saturday that the
Russian company could present its commentaries in connection with the
refusal and explanations on some matters, but the Colombian government is
unlikely to reverse its decision.
Earlier, Bogota issued a tender for that project. Initially, companies
from more than ten countries demonstrated their interest in taking part.
However, later all with the exception of the Russian company withdrew for
different reasons. After the Colombian government turned down the Russian
offer, the tender resulted in nothing.
According to plans of the authorities, the satellite was to be put in
orbit before the end of 2012 and ensure uninterrupted communication and
access to the Internet between more than 30,000 settlements across the
country.
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