News Space Jam: Isro indecision blocks DTH expansion

[Mr.Bhat]

Policy paralysis has hit space. The inability of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to cater to the needs of the fast-growing DTH sector has virtually crippled the expansion plans of six private Indian direct-to-home (DTH) operators. Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Reliance Big TV, Sun Direct and Videocon D2H are struggling to expand their satellite capacity or find a back-up satellite as all such files and requests have hit a dead end in the Isro’s INSAT Coordination Council (ICC).

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[Xen]

“After the Antrix-Devas deal, officials are just not willing to take decisions fearing future questions as to why a foreign satellite was approved or who all took decisions favouring foreign satellites over Isro satellites,” a senior official familiar with the functioning of ICC told FE.

Antrix, the commercial wing of Isro, has neither been able to provide INSAT-series satellites (as mandated in DTH licensing norms) nor has it cleared files of DTH firms requesting migration to foreign satellites, sources said. As a result, existing DTH operators are operating on 8-12 Ku-band transponders each, struggling to serve 47 million consumers.

So, Those who had made deal previously with ISRO are enjoying foreign Satellites and those who are planning it now are caught up in a situation.

 

[Xen]

“We are shortly going to launch the GSAT-5 with 36 transponders out of which 24 are in Ku-band. This will help private DTH operators like Tata Sky,” the official told FE

GSAT - 5