The Department of Space (DoS) has approached Antrix Corporation to seek out additional transponder capacity for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) from global satellite operators such as ThaiComm and MEASAT. The move is aimed at helping BSNL deliver enhanced communications services in Andaman and Nicobar and the Lakshadweep islands.
BSNL has been struggling to provide telecom connectivity in these areas after losing a significant 322 MHz of bandwidth capacity due to the non-functioning of the INSAT-3E satellite.
DoS has suggested that Antrix Corporation seek additional capacity on ThaiComm-7 on a priority basis since annual lease charges at Rs 66 million per transponder per year is lower than the Rs 75 million per transponder for capacity on the MEASAT system.
Further, DoS has stated that in the long term, the transponder capacity can also be made available to BSNL on the GSAT-16 satellite, once the satellite becomes operational in the last quarter of 2014-15.
