Measat Exec Examines DTH Prospects in Asia - Page 1 of 2

[Satellite Today Web Exclusive – 6-13-08] Measat is one of a number of locally based satellite operators looking to make its presence felt in the region and the launch of the Measat 3 and the scheduled launch of Measat-3a in the third quarter have increased the operator’s capacity at its 91.5° East slot by more than 300 percent since the end of 2006.
Measat supports direct-to-home (DTH) platforms in Malaysia, Indonesia and India, and as more platforms emerge in the region, the operator’s will hope to gain further growth. Paul Brown-Kenyon, Measat COO, talks about the operator’s plans to build its video business still further.

Via Satellite: What do you see as the major growth markets for Measat?

Brown-Kenyon: At a macro level, we have seen the Asia-Pacific satellite transponder market generally tighten over the last 12 months with demand now more closely aligned with available supply. The major driver for this has been video. The whole pay-TV industry in this region is growing rapidly. with new pay-TV platforms having emerged in countries such as India and Indonesia, and existing platforms — such as Astro in Malaysia — expanding their offerings. The growth in pay-TV is having a knock-on effect on the content distribution sector. We have seen the entry of new channels and new types of channels into the region. Beyond video, we have also seen increase in telecommunications traffic, especially in markets such as Indonesia with the expansion of GSM and VSAT networks.

Via Satellite: What are your satellite plans beyond Measat-3A

Brown-Kenyon: This depends on customer requirements. We are currently in discussions with our core customers about their longer term requirements at 91.5 degrees East as well as looking for opportunities to expand the network into new markets such as Africa. We will plan accordingly.

Via Satellite: How do you view the opportunities for Ka-band in the region?

Brown-Kenyon: The key reason why satellite operators have been moving to Ka-band in Europe and North America has been due to congestion in the C- and Ku-band frequency bands, especially for the higher bandwidth broadband type services. Today, we don’t yet see that level of congestion in the wider Asia-Pacific region or strong demand for broadband DTH services. In some of the more developed markets in the region, such as Australia, there may be opportunities today. Across large parts of Southeast [and] South Asia, I still think that this is at least five years away from seriously considering Ka-band satellites. An additional challenge with Ka-band in South and Southeast Asia region is rain attenuation. Large swathes of the region are subject to monsoon rainfall. As you move into the higher frequency bands, this poses increasing challenges on the link budgets. This is an additional challenge that our colleagues in Europe and North America don’t face.