Measat CEO Hails Biggest Capacity Deal Ever
By Mark Holmes | May 29, 2012
[Satellite TODAY Insider 05-29-12] Measat has signed its biggest capacity deal ever in Malaysia. The operator has reached a new agreement with the country’s leading DTH operator, Astro, which sees Astro committing to leasing 18 Ku-band transponders on the Measat-3b satellite for the life of this satellite. Measat announced the deal May 25.
The Measat-3b satellite will likely be launched in the second half of next year. The satellite will provide an additional 48 transponders of capacity. With the launch of Measat-3b, the 91.5 degrees East orbital position will have 100 Ku-band transponders across three co-located operators. Measat-3b will provide high-powered Ku-band capacity for DTH services across Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and India.
Measat CEO Paul Brown-Kenyon told Satellite Today Insider, “The agreement with Astro is the biggest capacity deal that Measat has signed to date. The agreement shows the level of confidence that our partner, Astro, has in us.”
The operator is one of the main providers of capacity to DTH players in Asia. Brown-Kenyon says capacity sales seem to be strong for the operator this year. “2012 capacity sales are looking very positive with growth from both the DTH and the video distribution sector. Fuelled by the strong economic growth in Asia, DTH operators and broadcasters in the region continue to look for capacity at the 91.5 degrees East orbital hot slot,” he said.
The deal with Astro is a huge boost for the operator. In terms of further capacity sales on the satellite, Brown-Kenyon added, “Ku-band capacity at 91.5 degrees East is high in demand. At the slot we are currently supporting DTH operators across Malaysia, India and Indonesia. All these markets are seeking additional capacity to support growth in the number of channels they provide, as well as the amount of HD content. Measat-3b, designed with a total of 48 Ku-band transponders, will be able to meet this growth. With three satellites now operating at the same orbital location providing capacity across three DTH markets, the launch of Measat-3b will also allow Measat to support our customers with the most robust satellite constellation in the region.”
Earlier in the week the operator announced plans to develop a new facility called the Measat Innovation Lab (MIL). Located at the Measat Teleport and Broadcast Center (MTBC) in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, the MIL has been designed to provide partners and customers with a comprehensive test bed to develop and validate products for Measat-5 and the other Measat satellites. Brown-Kenyon goes into more detail about why Measat is deciding to develop this facility. “The concept for the MIL came from customer discussions and, specifically, from their requests for a facility to allow them to test new satellite solutions,” he said. “In introducing the MIL we are looking to extend our support of our customers, assisting them in optimize the use of our satellite network. The initial concept for the MIL was developed in 2011. After a decision to proceed with the test bed was made earlier this year, it took us three months to set up and operationalize the facility.”