India’s INSAT-4A to give a fillip to DTH

India’s telecommunication satellite INSAT 4A launch in December 2005; will boost DTH in India

7 Nov, 2005: India’s new telecommunication satellite INSAT 4A will be launched next month, paving the way for a new revolution in direct-to-home television services in the country. 

The INSAT-4A and its add-ons are expected to give a massive boost to the DTH services, media reports said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation-designed and built INSAT-4A is widely expected to be the heaviest of its kind developed by the country’s premier space research organsation.

The spacecraft is expected to carry 12-ku band and 12-c band transponders. The 12ku-band transponder is mainly aimed at meeting the growing direct-to-home satellite link operations in the country.

The INSAT-4A is a Rs 300-crore spacecraft. It is widely expected to be launched in mid-December by a rocket of Arienspace. Arienspace is an European consortium.

ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said the launch is likely to take place from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana.

Already, major DTH players have shown keen interest in the mission. Players like the TATA-Star direct-to-home venture Tata-Sky has booked ku-band transponders on Insat-4A.

Media reports put the number of transponders leased by the joint venture between Murdoch-run Star and Tatas at 11. This has not been confirmed.

State-run Doordarshan’s DD Direct and Dish TV promoted by the ZEE group are availing the services of NSS6 Satellite to air their DTH services.

The South-India based Sun TV network is also having major expansion plans in DTH segment.