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Tag: Transponders

  • Aircom Pacific leases transponders across AsiaSat fleet for in-flight entertainment delivery

    Aircom Pacific leases transponders across AsiaSat fleet for in-flight entertainment delivery

    MUMBAI: Asian satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) has reached an agreement with in-flight entertainment and connectivity service provider Aircom Pacific, Inc. for using AsiaSat’s transponder capacity and uplinking services.

     

    Under the agreement, Aircom Pacific will use Ka-band and Ku-band capacity on AsiaSat 7 and AsiaSat 8 to deliver its in-flight entertainment and connectivity services for airlines flying routes over Asia. These services include Wifi broadband Internet, streaming TV and videos, streaming gaming, cellular connectivity, and real-time Duty Free shopping and travel services, enabling passengers to enjoy more comprehensive entertainment options during their flight while staying connected to their work and social networks at all times.

     

    “We chose AsiaSat as our satellite partner because it offers us the capacity, coverage and expertise in aero services necessary to ensure a successful implementation in the coming calendar year. The airline industry is intensely competitive. In-flight entertainment and connectivity will be the key for airlines to achieve differentiation and to boost passenger loyalty. Working with AsiaSat to launch this brand new range of in-flight services, we anticipate providing our partner airlines better value, improved and more convenient services to their passengers,” said Aircom Pacific chief marketing officer Alan Gallant.

     

    “Advanced satellite solutions are playing an increasingly important role in enabling in-flight service providers and airlines to offer the best possible entertainment and connectivity solution to their passengers. We are excited that AsiaSat’s satellite capacity was selected by Aircom Pacific to deliver more sophisticated in-flight communications and entertainment services that meet passengers’ growing demand for higher-quality entertainment and connectivity,” said AsiaSat vice president, sales and business development Philip Balaam.

  • MEASAT 3b active; Sun Direct awaits regulatory clearances

    MEASAT 3b active; Sun Direct awaits regulatory clearances

    MUMBAI: The MEASAT-3b satellite, which is co-located at 91.5 degree, has now finally gained the status of being active. However, Sun Group’s direct to home (DTH) arm Sun Direct is still in the process of getting regulatory clearances. The DTH operator will soon be able to avail the benefits that the satellite will offer. 

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar says, “We are still in the process of getting all the regulatory clearances.”

     

    In may be recalled that in May last year, Sun Direct was looking at adding nine more transponders from its current four, to increase its High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) channel capacity. However, the delay in the launch of MEASAT-3b satellite that was to enable Sun Direct help add the additional transponders played spoilt sport. The satellite which was set for launch on 6 June 2014 (7 June Kuala Lumpur time), was postponed after the manufacturer of the MEASAT-3b co-passenger requested time for repairs to their satellite.

     

    In September 2014, Ariane 5 ECA successfully launched two communications satellites Optus 10 and MEASAT 3b. MEASAT 3b, which is equipped with 48 high-power Ku-band transponders would enable DTH services not just in India but also Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. It would be serving more than 18 million households, according to Measat.

     

    Kumar had previously stated that with the extra capacity, the operator’s current HD offering would go up to 30 and expected the number of SD channels to go up to 350.

  • GSAT-16 to launch in December 2015

    GSAT-16 to launch in December 2015

    MUMBAI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has decided to launch two satellites by next year. GSAT-16 was scheduled to launch by mid 2015, but a new announcement from the ISRO states that it will be launched by December 2014 itself.

     

    The 3100 kg aircraft will be lifted into space six months earlier on a European Ariane 5 launcher. The decision for advancement was taken due to the expiration of INSAT 3E that expired earlier this year and was to be replaced by GSAT-16. A tentative launch date is 6 December.

     

    GSAT-16 will have 24 transponders in the C-band, 12 in the extended C-band and 12 in the Ku band to support public and private television and radio services, internet and telephone operations.

     

    The government had approved Rs 865 crore to build this satellite including fee for foreign launch and insurance that constitute Rs 628 crore.

     

    The satellite will be positioned at 55 degree east.

  • Revised guideline for rational pricing of satellite transponders soon, says Govt

    Revised guideline for rational pricing of satellite transponders soon, says Govt

    NEW DELHI: The government is processing a revised policy guideline for allocation and pricing of transponders based on the review and approval of INSAT Co-ordination Committee (ICC) and Space Commission.

     

    Parliament was told on 23 July by Department of Space Minister in charge Jitendra Singh that the new guideline envisages a rational classification structure for users such as strategic, government including societal, not-for-profit PSUs and commercial to form a basis for allocation and pricing of transponders. 

    At present, there are 12 INSAT/GSAT satellites in orbit, out of which 10 are communication satellites and two are meteorological satellites. In INSAT/GSAT satellite system there are 41 government users and 59 non-government users are utilising the capacity in C band, extended C band and Ku band to the extent of 152 transponders (36 MHz equivalent each). 

    At present, a uniform pricing policy is implemented for all categories of users. However, a multi-pricing policy for transponders is under the consideration of the government as INSAT systems transponders are utilised for non-profit purposes viz. governmental, societal, strategic as well as for commercial purposes. 

  • Sun Direct to add 9 transponders by June

    Sun Direct to add 9 transponders by June

    MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) operator Sun Direct is looking at increasing its high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) channel offering. The DTH operator that currently has four transponders will soon add nine more transponders to its kitty, thanks to the deal signed between Sun Direct and MEASAT Satellite Systems.

    The announcement comes after Sun Direct got a nod from Antrix Corporation for additional capacity. The platform currently has 11 HD and 210 SD channels. “We had applied to Antrix and have got its approval. With this, we will be shifting to MEASAT 3b and hence, will get nine transponders by first week of June. Our HD offering is currently low, but with the extra capacity we aim to take it to 30, while we expect the number of SD channels to go up to 350,” informs Sun Direct MD Mahesh Kumar.

    With this, the total number of transponders will go up to 13. “While we are currently focused on the south market, we can think of targeting other regions after this boost. We will first fill the gaps in our south offering and the HD channel offering,” he adds.

    The increase in the capacity is not the only change the DTH platform is looking at. It was in October 2013 that Sun Direct had announced that it would be launching 500 ‘Sunshine’ centers across south India to improve its customer’s service needs. “Of the 500 ‘Sunshine’ centers, we have already launched 200 centers in eight months,” says Kumar.

    The core aim of these ‘Sunshine’ stores will be to provide customer service, while new connections, demo and recharges will also be available. The stores that have been set up in every district are based on franchisee model. “While the cost for setting up of these stores is being borne by the franchisee, we will be investing for the backend support,” informs Kumar.

    The DTH operator has also introduced a tri-partite conference call service. This 24X7 service hotline number: 076010-12345 which will be manned round the clock will ensure that customer grievances are addressed within 48 hours. “We have started a conference call facility between the company, engineer and the customer. Post the grievance is registered and dealt with, a customer satisfaction survey will also be conducted,” he says.

    Sun Direct is spending approximately Rs 25 crore ($4 million) on the backend support.  According to Kumar, currently the ‘Sunshine’ centre witnesses 50 customers per day per store. The revenue model for the business will depend on the business each store generates.

    The ‘Sunshine’ centers that have been designed by JWT, have a standard format, with store dimensions ranging between 150 and 300 sq ft, depending upon the requirements of the specific town. “The stores have standard colour code which is in line with Sun Direct,” informs Kumar.

    Will we see such centers in other parts of the country as well? Says Kumar, “Currently we are looking at strengthening our service in south, once we get the extra transponders and hence more channels, we can think of other region as well.”

  • GSAT-7 Transponders successfully switched on as scheduled

    GSAT-7 Transponders successfully switched on as scheduled

    NEWDELHI: All the 11 communication transponders operating in UHF, S, C and Ku-bands of India’s advanced multiband communication satellite GSAT-7 have been successfully switched on and their performance is found to be normal.

    GSAT-7 is now positioned at its designated orbital slot of 74 deg east longitude in the geostationary orbit and In Orbit Testing (IOT) of the 11 transponders is in progress.

    GSAT-7 was launched from Kourou, French Guyana in the early hours of 30 August and was successfully placed in the Geosynchronous Orbit with an altitude of about 36,000 km above Earth’s surface on 3 September morning, after successfully completing the last of the three orbit-raising maneuvers commanded from ISRO`s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan.

    Earlier in 3 September, the communication antennae of GSAT-7, including the UHF Helix antenna, were deployed successfully. Following this, GSAT-7 was put in its final orbital configuration, stabilised on its three-axis by the momentum wheels.

    The GSAT-7 Satellite was expected to reach its assigned orbital slot of 74 degree east longitude in the Geostationary Orbit within 10 days.

    Based on current availability of hardware and components, the GSLV Vehicle assembly and checkout is expected to be completed at the Vehicle Assembly Building by the first week of December 2013 and the launch could take place by December 2013.

  • Eutelsat acquires GE-23 satellite from GE Capital

    Eutelsat acquires GE-23 satellite from GE Capital

    MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, on Thursday announced closure of the transaction to acquire GE-23 satellite, associated customer contracts and orbital rights from GE Capital, having obtained all required regulatory approvals.

     

    The satellite, renamed Eutelsat 172A, is now part of Eutelsat’s fleet, with technical and commercial teams working to ensure a smooth transition for existing customers.

    Commenting on the acquisition, Eutelsat Communications CEO Michel de Rosen said, “We are delighted to announce finalisation of this acquisition that brings three key assets to Eutelsat: first, a high-quality satellite equipped with a flexible payload of C and Ku-band capacity in great demand over the Asia-Pacific region. Secondly, the transaction includes orbital rights at 172° East, giving us an exceptional platform to serve dynamic markets in the region as well as headroom for further expansion.

     

    “Thirdly, we are acquiring a portfolio of quality customer relationships that we are excited to serve. This satellite adds further ballast to Eutelsat’s organic growth initiatives, notably our Eutelsat 70B satellite which is equipped with a dedicated Asian beam and on track for launch later this year.”

    Built by Thales Alenia Space, the satellite was launched in December 2005 with expected performance for 15 years. From geostationary orbit at 172° East, it offers unique coverage over the Asia-Pacific region via a payload of 20 Ku-band transponders accessing five interconnecting beams and 18 C-band transponders connected to a trans-Pacific beam.

     

    Leveraging its comprehensive coverage and high-bandwidth capability, Eutelsat 172A already offers a broad range of telecom services to a diverse base of blue chip customers.
  • Asiasat to launch 2 satellites, expand fleet to 6 in 2014

    Asiasat to launch 2 satellites, expand fleet to 6 in 2014

    MUMBAI: Space launch company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and AsiaSat has inked an agreement to launch in 2014 two communications satellites using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

     

    The regional satellite operator in Asia will, thus, expand its fleet from four to six satellites in 2014.

    Asiasat president, CEO William Wade said, “We are pleased to have SpaceX as our launch partner for the two upcoming missions. We look forward to the timely and successful launches of AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, thereby expanding our fleet from four to six satellites in 2014 to provide more high quality and comprehensive satellite services in the Asia-Pacific region”.

     

    AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2014 from SpaceX’s launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.

    Asiasat 6 will have 28 high-powered C-band transponders while Asiasat 8 will have 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band beam. The high-powered transponders on the satellite will enable the use of small antennas on the ground. The two SS/L 1300 satellites will serve Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

    SpaceX CEO, CTO Elon Musk said, “SpaceX is proud to be the choice of AsiaSat, a pioneer in advancing satellite communications in Asia. We are producing the most advanced launch vehicles in the world, and the international launch market has responded–commercial launches now represent over 60 per cent of our upcoming missions.”