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Tata Sky has requested Isro controlled Antrix Corporation for permission to hire a spare satellite from an overseas provider, in the same orbital slot as the Insat 4A satellite it uses to beam signals to subscribers.
The move follows the inability of the DTH firm, which is a three-way joint venture with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, Singapore government controlled Temasek and the $67.4 billion Tata group to get insurance against the risk of satellite failure and attendant loss of profits. If it succeeds in its attempt, the direct to home broadcaster will become the first in the industry in India, to have a back up satellite.
“Satellites fail routinely and this is not an unexpected event. Globally most large DTH firms always have a back up satellite in the orbit to ensure uninterrupted service. We have invested almost Rs 5,000 crore into the business so far and are a sitting duck in case of a satellite failure,” said Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO at Tata Sky.
The firm has requested Government of India controlled Antrix Corporation for permission to hire a foreign satellite at rates approved by Antrix, as Isro does not have spare satellites to deploy for such uses. An e-mail sent to Antrix managing director VS Hegde for a comment did not elicit a response despite repeated reminders.
The failure of transponders on the satellite, which Sun Direct used in July 2010, caused a fair degree of churn and unhappiness amongst its subscribers whose dishes needed to be repointed to the new orbital slot. Tata Sky is keen to avoid inconveniencing its own subscribers in case of any eventuality.
Financial Chronicle had reported this non-availability of satellite capacity in its edition dated July 19, 2011. The back up satellite is part of a disaster recovery plan prepared by the firm.
Tata Sky estimates that a back up satellite would involve lease payments of almost Rs 90 crore a year.
For more: http://m.mydigitalfc.com/news/tata-sky-seeks-back-satellite-898
The move follows the inability of the DTH firm, which is a three-way joint venture with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, Singapore government controlled Temasek and the $67.4 billion Tata group to get insurance against the risk of satellite failure and attendant loss of profits. If it succeeds in its attempt, the direct to home broadcaster will become the first in the industry in India, to have a back up satellite.
“Satellites fail routinely and this is not an unexpected event. Globally most large DTH firms always have a back up satellite in the orbit to ensure uninterrupted service. We have invested almost Rs 5,000 crore into the business so far and are a sitting duck in case of a satellite failure,” said Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO at Tata Sky.
The firm has requested Government of India controlled Antrix Corporation for permission to hire a foreign satellite at rates approved by Antrix, as Isro does not have spare satellites to deploy for such uses. An e-mail sent to Antrix managing director VS Hegde for a comment did not elicit a response despite repeated reminders.
The failure of transponders on the satellite, which Sun Direct used in July 2010, caused a fair degree of churn and unhappiness amongst its subscribers whose dishes needed to be repointed to the new orbital slot. Tata Sky is keen to avoid inconveniencing its own subscribers in case of any eventuality.
Financial Chronicle had reported this non-availability of satellite capacity in its edition dated July 19, 2011. The back up satellite is part of a disaster recovery plan prepared by the firm.
Tata Sky estimates that a back up satellite would involve lease payments of almost Rs 90 crore a year.
For more: http://m.mydigitalfc.com/news/tata-sky-seeks-back-satellite-898
:rofl
