NEW DELHI: Indian direct-to-home operators depend on foreign satellites due to shortage of Ku band transponders on Indian satellites.

The Parliament was informed on 11 March that a total of 77.89 (36 MHz equivalent) Ku band transponders are used by Indian DTH operators for DTH services.

Out of a total of 77.89 transponders, 19 transponders are in INSAT/GSAT satellites and 58.89 leased from foreign satellites. 

The DTH service providers are using foreign satellites since sufficient capacity of Ku Band transponders is not available in INSAT/GSAT satellites, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh said. 

The commercial, societal and defence service users have been using their allocated capacity as per their usage plan subject to receipt of regulatory approvals. 

The allocation process is in progress for about 46 transponders (in C, Extended-C and Ku Bands), which are vacant at present. 

Dr Singh had said recently that a total of six communication satelites - GSAT-15, GSAT-9, GSAT-6, GSAT-6A, GSAT-7A and GSAT-11 – are being developed indigenously as part of the XII Five Year Plan (2012-17).

A total of 95 Ku-band (a part of K band) transponders onboard indigenous communication satellites are being utilised for various communication applications, he had told Parliament last month.