Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 3
By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:
The second telecommunications satellite of Azerbaijan - Azerspace - 2/Intelsat 38, will support platform for DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite broadcasting, the Arianespace S.A. company said in a statement Sept. 3.
The satellite is designed to provide a number of telecommunication services and will serve two operators - Intelsat S.A. and Azerkosmos OJSC companies.
"The satellite will provide coverage of the growing demand for DTH services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and in the part of Africa south of the Sahara desert for "Azerkosmos" OJSC company, and will provide continuity of service from the orbital position of 45 degrees for the Luxembourg office of the Intelsat S.A. company, as well as will ensure the delivery of DTH services to Central and Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the provision of communication services in Africa", the message says.
As previously reported, the maintenance of the Direct-to-Home broadcasting capability in the process of implementing the second satellite program contributes to the emergence of DTH operators in Azerbaijan, which in turn will increase competition in the TV broadcasting market. Operators do not need to lay a cable, as the satellite signal will be able to cover the country's entire territory.
The new service will open up new opportunities for both broadcasters and TV viewers. The DTH TV signal is transmitted directly to the viewer, bypassing cable operators.
The scheme for receiving DTH TV signals is as follows: the program channels transmit the signal to the broadcasting station, which in turn sends it to the satellite. The satellite compresses the received signal, converting it into a suitable format for transmission to receivers, which the end user acquires from his DTH-provider.
The launch of the Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 satellite has been scheduled for September 18, 2018, according to the working plan. The timing can be adjusted depending on weather conditions.
The second satellite will be put into geostationary orbit at 45 degrees east longitude. Its service zone will include countries of Europe, Central and South Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Azerbaijan’s first communications satellite Azerspace/Africasat 1a was launched into geostationary orbit at 46 degrees east longitude on Feb. 8, 2013. The satellite was launched from the Kourou space base by Arianespace.
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