Dateline Asia
SOUTHEAST ASIA ON
99 CHANNELS A DAY
Once a back water province in the realm of satellite TV,
Southeast Asia is being courted by a host of new satellite program services.
By Mark Long
Originally appeared in the April, 1996 issue of Tele-satellit.
©1996 MLE INC. All Rights Reserved.
'You won't get many channels with a six foot dish,' said one of the installers, the pitch of his voice lilting up and down as he spoke in rapid-fire Thai. 'Don't worry,' I responded. 'I used to have a 20-footer in America but these days I'm more interested in seeing what small dishes can do in this part of the world.'
After living in cramped quarters in Bangkok, where yard space and an unobstructed view of the sky are at a premium, I was itching to get the dish up at my new home just outside of the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand's mountainous north. After the cables had been snaked and the antenna bolted onto the mount, I asked the head installer if I could use his inclinometer to fine-tune the dish alignment. 'What's an inclinometer?' he replied. After checking my pocket Thai/English computer translator for a couple of key words, I explained that it was a hand tool for setting the mount's elevation and declination angles. 'Oh that,' he said with a smile. 'Nobody uses them here. We just point the antenna south and then move it up and down until we get video,' he continued while tilting the dish back until a perfect picture popped onto my TV screen. Dishes with actuators took a little longer, he added, but after doing over one hundred installs he figured that he had the knack of it down pat. I asked him how effective was his method when installing a horizon to horizon mount. 'Don't know', he replied while beaming another of those famous grins from the Land of Smiles in my direction. 'Never seen one before.'
By this point, the cables and connectors were in place, all the trenches filled and I was getting a strong signal from AsiaSat 1, the satellite closest to due south of my location. So I paid off the installer and set out to finish the task on my own. Back and forth and up and down, I moaned inwardly, is that what makes the satellite world go round? After a bit of screaming and some gnashing of teeth, I finally got the dish to track the entire geostationary arc just as the sun's last rays faded from view. The fun part was just about to begin.
A Programming Cornucopia
Although six foot dishes used to be small potatoes in this part of the world, the direct to home (DTH) satellite market in Southeast Asia is rapidly being transformed through the launch of higher-powered satellites and numerous new satellite TV channels. During my first full night of satellite TV viewing in Chiang Mai, I catalogued a total of ninety-nine unscrambled full-time TV services already in operation, including regional editions of familiar American program services such as CNBC, CNN, Discovery, ESPN, MTV, TNT and the Cartoon Network. Dozens of less-familiar regional channels, like Australia TV International and the new Sony Entertainment Channel, also were booming in, along with the national TV services of a bevy of other countries from Malaysia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea, to Pakistan, The Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam.The Mother of Invention
Even those satellite TV services using the INTELSAT and Russian Statsioner satellite systems, where the use of fairly large C-band antennas used to be a prerequisite for good reception, can now be received noise free on a six foot dish. During my first night of satellite observation, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a few of the hottest C-band signals came from Russian Statsionar satellites. More than a dozen channels for India and Russia were blasting their way into my little six foot dish.The trick of course is to have the right feedhorn, one that can receive signals using circular, as opposed to linear, polarization. Unfortunately, I only had a linear polarization C band only feedhorn which I had brought over from the U.S.
My next stop was the local supermarket, where I bought a variety of plastic kitchen utensils. If I wanted to cook up a hot dish, I reasoned, then I would need to have the right ingredients.
Upon returning to the house, I began carving up my acquisition of assorted Tupperware containers, spatulas, and other plastic goodies into suitably sized wafers that I could insert into the feedhorn's waveguide. Through trial and error, I eventually identified a material with the right dielectric constant to de-circularize the wave front of the incoming signals. Various combinations of wafer thickness were tried until the feed was optimized for reception of both linear and circular polarization signals, not a very scientific approach to feedhorn design, but necessity is often the mother of invention.
Passing the Torch
The closing ceremonies at last year's South East Asian Games.
In addition to a total of ninety-nine full time TV channels, Asian satellite operators also can fire up additional transponders when the occasion warrants to provide spectacular live coverage of special events. For example, the 18th South East Asian (SEA) Games were held right here in Chiang Mai last December to help celebrate the 700th anniversary of the founding of what was once the capitol city of the Kingdom of Lan Na: the Land of a Million Rice Fields. For the first time ever, all ten Southeast Asian countries, which collectively represent more than 475 million people, participated in nine days of regional sports events.
The Sawasdee SEA Games Mascot (holding an upside down satellite dish?)
The Thaicom satellite system served as the space bridge between an impressive new Chiang Mai sports complex and national TV broadcast studios throughout the region. The Olympic style torch for the 18th SEA Games was even lit via satellite. From his palace in Bangkok, King Bumiphol of Thailand, the world's longest reigning monarch, triggered a special signal that was beamed by Thaicom to the mountain top temple of Doi Sutep near Chiang Mai. This signal ignited the SEA Game torch that runners then carried down the mountainside and into the main stadium during the opening ceremony.
Asian Launches On Tap
Just prior to Christmas, the powerful new AsiaSat 2 spacecraft began transmitting a Season's Greetings: Extend the Boundaries test card from its new orbit over 100.5 degrees east longitude and the Indian Space Research Organization was putting the new Insat 2-C through its paces. A new satellite age for Asia was about to begin. What's more, Asia's 1996 launch schedule is chock full of powerful new satellites: Palapa C1 and C2 (Lockheed Martin Atlas II), Measat 1 (Arianespace), Apstar 1A and INTELSAT 708 (Chinese Long March) are all scheduled for deployment this year. In early 1997, INTELSAT 801, 802 and 803, as well as Measat 2 and Thaicom 3 will be placed into orbit by Arianespace, with Apstar 2R and Mabuhay 1 to be launched by Chinese Long March rockets.Measat 1 & 2. Binariang Sdn Bhd of Kuala Lumpur, a joint venture between local Malaysian shareholders and American baby bell USWEST, will operate the Malaysian East Asia Satellite (MEASAT) system. MEASAT 1 was launched by Arianespace in January of 1996 to 91.5 degrees east longitude, with a second spacecraft, MEASAT 2, to be launched by Arianespace in the Autumn of 1996. Both satellites are manufactured by Hughes Aircraft.
MEASAT 1 carries twelve C-band and five Ku-band (10.95 to 11.2 GHz and 12.25 to 12.37 GHz spectrums) transponders. The satellite's C-band footprint will provide high power coverage into most of East Asia, including Northern Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Kampuchea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of southern China.
The MEASAT 1 satellite's high power, Ku band beam is focused onto Malaysia, where it will be used to transmit a package of digitally-compressed TV channels to antennas as small as 50 cm in diameter. The spacecraft also has the option of switching beam coverage of selected Ku band transponders to provide additional coverage of the Philippines and India by ground command.
MEASAT 2 has been designed to provide back up capacity for MEASAT 1 as well as deliver additional capacity and expanded regional coverage. MEASAT 2 carries six C band transponders covering the East Asian region and ten Ku band transponders capable of duplicating the MEASAT 1 Ku band coverage, with the tantalizing addition of new spot beams centered over Queensland, Vietnam and Indonesia.
INTELSAT VIII. The international INTELSAT organization intends to launch two new INTELSAT VIII series satellites for service in the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions (801 to 64 degrees and 803 to 180 degrees east longitude). Each INTELSAT VIII spacecraft will carry thirty six C-band transponders, thirty of which will be capable of generating a nominal 36 dBW over each of its C band hemispheric and zone beams, the highest power levels ever achieved by an INTELSAT satellite on C band. The additional six C band transponders will connect to a global beam capable of achieving a minimum of 29 dBW throughout each satellite's global coverage area. Each INTELSAT VIII spacecraft also will carry as many as six Ku band transponders.
Thaicom 3. Shinawatra Satellite Public Co., Ltd., operator of the Thaicom 1 and 2 satellites for the Kingdom of Thailand, is constructing two additional satellites, Thaicom 3 and 4, which will be used to provide regional satellite communications services throughout the Asia/Pacific region. Both satellites are being manufactured by Aerospatiale of France. The three axis stabilized Thaicom 3 and 4 satellites will have a much larger communications payload than the current spin stabilized Thaicom 1 and 2 spacecraft. Each new satellite will carry twenty four C band and twelve Ku band transponders.
Thaicom 3 will provide medium power C band coverage that will span four continents: Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. Ku band coverage will include a high powered beam illuminating Southeast Asia, and a steerable beam that can be used to provide direct-to-home (DTH) TV transmissions to other countries such as India, where Shinawatra is working to establish a consortium for the introduction of a digital DTH service on Thaicom 3. According to Shinawatra, Thaicom 3 will be able to provide 60 to 70 digital TV channels to 60cm receiving antennas in most major cities in India.
Agila 2. The Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation has tapped satellite manufacturer Space Systems Loral to build a dual band regional communications satellite carrying a total of fifty four (36 MHz wide) transponders. Agila 2 will carry twenty four linearly polarized transponders operating in the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz 'standard' C band frequency range as well as six transponders operating in the 3.6 to 3.7 GHz 'extended' C band spectrum. In the Ku band, Agila 2 will provide an additional twenty four linearly polarized transponders operating in the 12.2 to 12.7 GHz frequency range.
Agila 2's C-band coverage beam, which covers an area ranging from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to India, China and Japan, will produce a nominal EIRP of 35 to 37 dBW, depending on location. Also available: spot beam coverage of the Hawaii islands. The more narrowly focused Ku band coverage beam, which includes the Philippines, Taiwan, northern Vietnam, and eastern China, will produce a nominal EIRP of 52 to 54 dBW when operated in a high power mode.
Agila 2 was launched by a Chinese Long March 3C rocket in August of 1997 to an orbital assignment of 144 degrees east longitude.
Apstar 1A & 2R. By mid 1996, Apstar 1A will be launched as a back up satellite for Apstar 1 to an orbital assignment of 134 degrees east longitude. The big event for Hong Kong based APT Satellite Co. Ltd. won't take place until 1997, when a Chinese Long March rocket will deploy the replacement satellite for the Apstar 2 spacecraft which was lost in early 1995.
The new satellite, which primarily will carry TV programming, will have twenty eight C band transponders and sixteen Ku band transponders. On C band, the satellite will transmit using 60 watt amplifiers, while the Ku band payload will feature 110 watt transponders. The satellite's C band coverage beam will extend from eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East to Northeast Asia and as far south as the Australian continent. The satellite will be located at 76.5 degrees east longitude.
