PM opens BS-I commercial services for 34 TVs on Oct 2

Staff Reporter/Legalvoice24 – All local television channels would start

their full-fledged transmission using the feed of country’s first
communication satellite Bangabandhu-I (BS-I) on October 2.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open formally the BS-I
commercial services to all 34 TV channels on October 2,” Bangladesh
Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood
told BSS today.

He said currently most of the local TV channels have been running
successfully their transmission through BS-I.

“We have already sold 40 percent capacity of BS-I and expect to sell the
remaining capacity in the coming days,” added Dr Mahmood.

Replying to a query, the BCSCL Chairman hoped they could able to earn the
entire amount spent for the launching of BS-I from the domestic market within
eight years.

Earlier on May 19, BCSCL signed formal agreement with six local TVs -Somoy
TV, Jamuna TV, Deepto TV, Bijoy TV, Bangla TV and MY TV for the use of BS-I.
In addition, four channels of the state-owned BTV has been running operation
through the feed of BS-I.

BCSCL officials said the draft of the agreement between TVs and BCSCL has
been finalized.

All the TVs for their transmission would require the capacities of five
transponders of the BS-I. Besides, the local D2H Akash of BEXIMCO has rented
six transponders.

On August 28, a delegation of the Association of Television Channel Owners
(ATCO) called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Office.

They said they have been working sincerely with the authorities concerned
to start complete transmission of all the private television channels through
the BS-1 on October-2.

Besides, the BCSCL has connected all TV channels through fiber optic cable
with its ground station instead of installing earth station to minimize the
cost of TV channels’ owner.

French manufacturer Thales Alenia Space in November last year handed over
the controlling authority of BS-I to BCSCL, which was launched by the SpaceX
on May 12, 2018 from Florida to the orbit.

The first trial broadcast of BS-I has been successfully done through
airing the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2018.

In addition, BCSCL has hired international consultancy firm Thaicom for two
years to run marketing and sale of the connectivity of BS-I in six countries,
including four neighbours. The Thai firm is currently active in around 20
countries.

Thales launched the BS-I at a cost of Taka 2,765 crore and according to the
plan, it will reach break-even point within seven years of starting its
commercial service.

Located at the 119.1 east geostationary slot, BS-I would cover the SAARC
countries and Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Uzbekistan, Turkestan and a part of Kazakhstan.

The coverage is the strongest in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Sri
Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, for which these six countries have initially been
chosen for business.

The satellite’s operations include “direct-to-home” service for TV
channels, VSAT (very small aperture terminal), backhaul and network
restoration, disaster preparedness and relief and many others.