The Full-scale formal transmission of the country’s television channels through Bangabandhu Satellite-1 (BS-1) begins today. The transmission would include airing four state-owned television channels. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hand over the Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) transmission certificate to the channel owners.
At the same time, the BS-1 will also start providing commercial services officially from the same day, officials of the satellite company confirmed. They also said that agreement has already been finalized with the concerned televisions. Earlier, on May 19, BCSCL, the assigned entity to manage the BS-I, signed agreements with six local television channels and other firms to rent the transponders of the satellite.
Following the agreement, Somoy Tv, Jamuna Tv, Deepto Tv, Bijoy Tv, Bangla Tv, My Tv, and four state-owned channels are broadcasting their news and programs using BS-1. However, the channel owners are saying there is some technical problem, like the satellite being unable to broadcast to the Middle East. As a result, they have to stay connected with the previous satellite. At the same time, as the tv channels are required to connect with satellite earth stations through fiber cable, this can hamper their broadcasting they fear.
To this end, BCSCL Chairman, Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said, these technical problems are continuously being identified since test transmission, and efforts are being made to eliminate them. The satellite company has also reduced frequency rent for the country’s Tv channels. For each megahertz, they have to pay $4000, but BCSCL fixed per megahertz at $ 2817, and it will be $ 3500 from the second year.
The satellite went into trial transmission on September 4 last year through the broadcasting of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship with the state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV). According to BCSCL information, all tv channels will use five and a half capacity transponder of the satellite. On the other hand, Beximco’s Akash DTH (Direct to Home) also rented six transponders of the satellite.
Mentionable, the satellite has 40 physical transponders with a capacity of 1,600 megahertz. Of the total transponders, 26 are in KU band and 14 in C-band. The BCSCL Chairman said, the total cost of the satellite can be withdrawn from the domestic market within the next eight years. It is to be noted, Bangladesh became the 57th member on the satellite member-country list, by launching the satellite from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 11 last year.
