Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to develop a new satellite, PAKSAT-1R, in about a three year time period, Pakistan's Economic Affairs Division (EAD) said in a press release. The communication satellite will have a 30 year life span and will offer 12 C- and 18 Ku-Band transponders, each of 36 MHz Bandwidth. The program is in line with Pakistan's Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF 2005-10) objectives and should provide better satellite communications for Pakistan, said the press release. Pakistan Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) will jointly develop the new satellite to replace the current Pakistan spacecraft, which is likely to become decommissioned in 2011.