Tech desk: Bangladesh’s first geostationary communication satellite
Bangabandhu-I is going to start its maiden commercial operation through
the transmission of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship
in September.
To this end, Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company
Limited (BCSCL), the organisation to manage the Bangabandhu-I, has
started to install necessary equipment to the local satellite television
channels, said officials.
Talking to BSS today, BCSCL Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said they
have started the procedures of broadcasting the SAFF Championship using
Bangabandhu-I through Bangladesh Television (BTV).
Terming this broadcast as “pre-test” of commercial operation, he
said: “All the necessary tests have been completed successfully since
the satellite has taken position into the orbit. . .Now, the time has
come to move ahead.”
About the preparation of local TV channels, Dr Mahmood said
BCSCL engineers are working with them to install the necessary
equipment.
“Some equipment regarding the satellite connection is needed to be
installed for switching over to Bangabandhu-I from other satellite,”
said the chairman, adding, “The equipment would be brought by air
shipments if it is required.”
Replying to a query, he said Thales Alenia Space, the manufacturing
company of the satellite, is yet to handover the control of the two
ground stations -primary one in Gazipur and secondary one in Rangamati,
to the BCSCL.
The 12th edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international
men’s football championship of South Asia organized by the SAFF and
Bangladesh is hosting it from September 4 to 15.
Bangabandhu-I was successfully launched from the historic Launch
Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida of United States
16:14 local time (02:14 BST) on May 11. Most modern rocket “Block 5”
version of the Falcon 9 of SpaceX lifted the satellite for the orbit
located at 119.1 degree east and after ten days of launch, it took
position in the desired location (orbital slot).
According to the agreement, Thales Alenia Space of France will handle
the satellite along with local engineers for next three years. To this
end, an 18-member team of local engineers has been trained up.
Bangladesh will operate satellite from 119.1 degree east using a
payload comprising 26 Ku-Band and 14 C-Band transponders to deliver
focused telecommunications coverage to Bangladesh. One transponder is
equivalent to 36 MHz.
Ku-band covers Bangladesh and its territorial area of the Bay of
Bengal, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the
Philippines. C-band covers Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and portions of
Kazakhstan.
The government took the Bangabandhu-I project in May 2015 and
assigned the Thales Alenia by signing a $248-million deal in November
the same year.
The satellite has 15 years for mission life span while another three years for its design.
The satellite will offer video services for Direct-to-Home (DTH),
e-learning, Tele-medicine, Family Planning, Farming etc while voice
service to cellular backhaul and disaster recovery, and data service for
internet, SCADA, SOHO as well as business-to-business (VSAT).
-BSS
