New DTH players scramble for scarce transponders

Posted: Tuesday, Jan 30, 2007 at 0000 hrs IST
Updated: Tuesday, Jan 30, 2007 at 0000 hrs IST

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New Delhi, Jan 29: The DTH war in the country, which ranks as the world’s third largest television market, is heading for the stars. India’s new DTH ventures are scrambling for precious transponder space as satellite scarcity looms large.

Reliance’s Blue Magic, Bharti, Doordarshan’s DD Direct and Sun TV’s Sun Direct are in the race to acquire as many as possible of the 24 Ku-band transponders on Insat 4B and Insat 4CR, to be launched in March-April, 2007 and July-Aug, 2007, respectively.

Considering that each one is expected to offer around 120 channels, they need at least 7-10 transponders each. There aren’t that many available till the end of 2007, at least.

Each transponder is capable of providing between 15 and 30 channels depending on its frequency capacity.

Currently, there are only two satellites with a pan-India footprint capable of providing the Ku band required for DTH services—Insat 4A and the Netherlands-based SES Global-owned NSS6. Both booked between TataSky (all 12 on 4A) and DD Direct (5 on NSS6) and Dish TV (7 on NSS6). NSS6 is an international satellite with a pan-Asia presence and consists of 50 Ku band transponders.

Star War

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