Insat-4B: Race for space has just begun

While the much-awaited launch of the Insat-4B satellite has paved the way for the Sun Network's direct-to-home (DTH) venture, shortage of satellites and transponder space will mean that ADAG Reliance Bluemagic's and Bharti Group's DTH ventures have to wait for a few more months.

Industry experts say that even after the Insat-4B launch, there would be a requirement of over 25 more transponders from new players as well as older players looking for expansion.

Reliance Bluemagic will have to wait till July for the launch of Insat-4CR, which will carry eight Ku-band transponders for the company. Bharti's DTH foray will be possible only in 2008, and that too if the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) books transponders on Measat-3, a Malaysian satellite scheduled for lift-off.

Meanwhile, the Insat-4B's launch will increase competition among the DTH players with the availability of over 200 additional channel offerings by Sun Direct, DD Direct and Dish TV. The six transponders which Sun Network gets on Insat-4B will help it offer over 80-100 channels.

The Zee Group's DTH company, whose expansion was stuck earlier, has decided to pick up five more transponders vacated on its NSS-6 satellite by Doordarshan's free DTH service, DD Direct (which is now shifting to Insat-4B).

"The transponders vacated by DD Direct will be taken by us and we will immediately offer 30-40 new channels to our subscribers. The rest will be launched soon, and we should have 200 channels on the DTH platform," Jawahar Goel, business head, Dish TV, told Business Standard.

Even DD Direct plans to improve its DTH service with launch of movie and niche channels. "DD Direct will now move to Insat-4B and will also increase its channel offerings from 32 to 50 in the first phase and later to over 70. We also plan to give innovative and informative channel offerings to our viewers," said Prasar Bharati Chief Executive BS Lalli.

Insat-4B is carrying 12 Ku-band transponders and 12 C-band transponders to augment capacity for DTH services, along with other communication and broadcasting services.

The launch failure of Insat-4C last year had derailed the DTH plans of Sun Direct, and Sri Lankan broadcaster Rupavahini, alongside VSNL and National Informatics Centre.