Tata-Star DTH venture to lease ISRO''s INSAT 4A satellite

Mumbai: The Tata-Star DTH venture, Tata Sky Ltd, has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to lease all 12 ku-band transponders on the INSAT 4A satellite.

The transponders leased on INSAT 4A will allow Tata Sky to transmit around 150 channels in digital quality to Indian homes including those even in the remote interiors.

At the same time, in a major brand building exercise the company, till now called Space TV, has been rebranded Tata Sky Ltd.

Announcing this K R Sridhara Murthi, executive director, Antrix Corporation, the marketing and export arm of the department of space and ISRO said, "We are very happy to partner with Tata Sky in their endeavour to bring about a revolution in television-viewing to India. The Insat 4A satellite has been developed keeping the local requirements in mind and will enable Tata Sky to provide superior coverage all across India. Vikram Kaushik, CEO, Tata Sky Ltd., said, "Tata Sky is proud to use an Indian satellite to deliver its service to all television viewers in India. We are excited that our DTH service will be beamed from ISRO''s INSAT4A, the most advanced and high-powered ku-band communication satellite in the region. This will enable Tata Sky to offer superior picture and sound quality with a wider range of channels, giving us a competitive edge in the market."

The Tata-Star DTH service, once operational, will become India''s largest digital television platform, offering consumers a wide array of programming choices with interactive features and superior picture and sound quality.

The Tata-Star joint venture, was established in 2004, to build a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure for pay-television in India. Tata Sky plans to introduce a nation-wide ''direct-to-home'' (DTH) service that would allow it to reach every Indian home. The service plans to offer its subscribers cable channels, new innovative programming and interactive services.