A number of stakeholders in the Indian broadcast and satellite industry, including the country’s first DTH service provider Dish TV, Star India, Zee, the pubcaster Prasar Bharati, and industry organisations such as Broadband India Forum and CASBAA are batting for an open-sky policy relating to KU-band transponders.

The reason for this support for an open-sky satellite policy is rooted in the need for increasing KU-band transponder capacity. The allotment of KU-band transponder on foreign satellites is regulated by the country’s space agency Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) when it is unable to provide space on Indian satellites to domestic customers.

While Dish TV does not see “any justification” in the closed-door or regulated policy regime followed for KU-band transponder capacity, Star India is of the opinion that absence of such a policy is limiting DTH platforms’ capacity to provide additional services. Though Prasar Bharati, managers of Doordarshan and All-India Radio, gets preference on Indian satellites, it has also supported an open policy.

“At present, KU-band is permitted for HITS, DTH, uplinks and DSNGs/VSATs. These applications should be enabled for open-sky policy, which will allow the broadcasters/DTH operators to negotiate long-term contracts. As satellite life is 15-17 years, operators give benefit in long-term contracts to the extent of 50 per cent,” Dish TV has said, adding that, at present, ISRO executes only three-year contracts.

According to Star India (its parent 21 Century Fox has a minority in DTH operator Tata Sky), “With the introduction of new satellite TV channels, DTH operators require more KU-band capacity with footprint over India to enable to uplink all such channels on such DTH platforms… (but), owing to the lack of open-sky policy in KU-band, DTH platforms are restricted to provide limited value-added services. The open-sky policy for DTH will unlock such value-added services and enable viewers to consume such immersive and interactive content.”

Why is this clamour for an open-sky policy regarding KU-band transponder?

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