Can intelsat and intersputnik cooperate

Abstract When Intersputnik was constituted in November 1971 it was generally seen as an attempt by the USSR to compete with the US-controlled Intelsat. Today Intersputnik carries only a fraction of global satellite communications, so a merger would not bring Intelsat a significantly larger market; moreover there would be problems with technology transfer, organizational and political cohesion. On the other hand, there would be economies of scale, reduced orbital requirements and political advantages deriving from a reduction of Cold War tension. Although immediate merger may not be feasible, possibilities for cooperation could usefully be explored.