INSAT-4B: Advantage DTH

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The latest telecommunications satellite INSAT-4B was launched recently from European Ariane-5 ECA launch vehicle of Arianespace out of French Guiana. The satellite, the second in the INSAT series, took off with 12 high-powered Ku-band transponders and 12-C band transponders. The launch of INSAT-4B comes at a time when the Direct-to-Home (DTH) television market is on a threshold of a boom, and given that, the transponder capacity INSAT 4-B offers will considerably augment the DTH infrastructure in the country. The multi crore satellite built by ISRO in Bangalore is a dedicated telecommunication satellite.

The INSAT-4B is now orbiting the earth with a perigee (nearest point to earth) of 243 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 35,876 km and an inclination of 4.52 degrees with respect to the equator. The Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka acquired the first signals from INSAT-4B soon after the launch. Subsequently, the satellite would be placed in the final orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km above the equator by the master control technicians.

INSAT-4B Communication Payload

In 12 Ku-band transponders with 36 MHz and 27 MHz usable bandwidth (9 and 3 numbers respectively) employing 140 W TWTAs to provide an EIRP of 52 dBW at Edge of Coverage (EoC) polygon with footprint covering Indian mainland
12 C-band transponders with 36 MHz usable bandwidth employing 63 W TWTAs to provide an EIRP of 39 dBW at EoC with expanded coverage encompassing Indian geographical boundary, area beyond India in southeast and northwest regions

ISRO terms the launch of INSAT-4B as a significant occasion in broadcasting, as it will contribute significantly to the country's national development. For instance, all the transponders of INSAT-4B have been blocked predominantly by Sun TV and Doordarshan. It is said that each transponder for take up to 12 digital TV channels and ISRO seems to have sold each transponder at $1 mn dollars. This is expected to garner revenues of around Rs 1,250 crore. The satellite has a mission life of around 12 years.

The INSAT 4 series is planned to have seven satellites. The transponder configuration of the series has been worked out after evaluating the requirement projected by different user segments and planned to have around 225 active transponders. INSAT system, which was established in 1983, is the largest domestic communication satellite system in the Apac region comprising nine satellites including INSAT-2E, INSAT-3A, INSAT-3B, INSAT-3C, INSAT-3E, KALPANA-1, GSAT-2, EDUSAT and INSAT-4A. INSAT system provides 175 transponders besides meteorological instruments.

The INSAT-4B will considerably augment the existing DTH infrastructure. For instance, there are only two satellites right now on a pan-country basis offering DTH services. The first one is the INSAT-4A and the other is NSS6, operated by Netherlands-based SES Global. TataSky have booked all the 12 transponders in INSAT-4A and players like Doordarshan and Dish TV has transponders in NSS6. Given this dire need for transponders by DTH players, the INSAT-4B is seen as just the beginning as subsequent INSAT launches will create a state-of-the-art DTH infrastructure.

Shrikanth G
shrikanthg@cybermedia.co.in