Home ›› 12 May 2022 ›› Front
The geostationary communications and broadcasting satellite – Bangabandhu Satellite-1 – is going to be a harbinger of immense economic gains, not just by providing communication services for Bangladesh alone, but by doing the same for other countries who would opt to buy such services.
According to Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL), the satellite has already been working for 34 islands in the country through 130 VSATs. Primary schools, community clinics, police camps and the like are reaping the benefits of the artificial body in the space.
Besides, some South Asian countries along with Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkestan and a part of Kazakhstan have become the customers of BSCL.
Manufactured by the France’s Thales Alenia Space, the satellite carries a total of 40 Ku-band and C-band transponders with a capacity of 1,600 megahertz and a predicted lifespan of 15 years or more so.
Four years ago today (May 12) Bangladesh launched the satellite as the 57th nation of the globe. It was a Tk 2,765-crore project.
10 days after the launch on May 22 the satellite on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket reached 119.1° east longitude geostationary slot and started sending signals to earth, 36,000 kilometres from the space.
According to Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the priority satellite applications include Direct to Home (DTH), VSAT, Backhaul and Trunking, Network Restoration, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, etc.
Using its bandwidth and frequency, internet facilities are being provided for hard-to-reach areas such as haor regions alongside giving banking services, telemedicine and remote education in remote areas.
The key feature of the satellite is to establish communications and provide services to satellite televisions in the country. There are huge commercial opportunities for the satellite in international arena.
“We are hopeful about its commercial success. We did not calculate revenues earned by the satellite. We are not operating it with the government fund,” said Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar.
The minister told The business post the satellite is running without the government subsidy, but they have enough opportunity to rent it out.
“All television and radio channels and the DTH service provider Akash TV in the country are using the satellite services, and they are our main customers at present,” said Md Shahjahan, managing director and CEO, Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL).
“Our satellite TV channels used to take satellite services from Apstar 7. Being time-honored, its signals were not that good. Through Bangabandhu Satellite, TV operators are getting better services.”
On the other hand, Shahjahan said the operators had to pay more and international transactions for payments were also complicated while now it has been easier and cost-effective.
“We have designed a few other services also for satellite operators including setting up of VSAT, which will be incorporated soon after a month,” he pointed out.
The authorities are trying to bring the banks’ ATM services under the purview of satellite. The banks are currently using fiber optic cables. Though the ATM services guided by the satellite would cost a bit higher, benefits would be much more literally.
When any card holders insert card into an ATM booth machine for the purpose of transaction, their personal information are dispatched to the cloud while there remains a possibility of their accounts to be hacked and they can lose their savings. But being guided by the satellite, one can keep the issue of hacking at bay while making a secure transaction.
“We are experimenting with 8-10 ATM booths and are hopeful to bring all such automated teller machines across the country under the satellite,” according to the engineer.
“We are giving telemedicine and distance learning services where fiber optic cables cannot reach, and it requires a big investment for connectivity. We will reach those places and connect them with cities.”
Apart from meeting domestic demand, Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited is trying to reach out to international markets. The authorities have kept 20 transponders for commercial purposes.
It is highly competitive to set foot in the international market in terms of costs and services, but the company is making efforts.
“What we need is publicity to make people aware of it. Creating public trust in our services is important to achieve the desired goal,” said Shahjahan.
“We have to change our attitude towards using satellite services. In foreign countries, satellite coverage is almost everywhere, so why not we?” he posed a question.
Sources said Bangladesh Satellite Company is getting good response from the Middle East and has managed to ensure landing rights in eight other countries. A number of television channels have already signed contract to buy services.
BSCL Managing Director Md Shafikul Islam said on June 14, 1975, Bangabandhu launched the country’s first earth satellite station at Betbunia and international communications were made through the earth station, but the cost was way high.
“Now with our own satellite, we are trying to go all around with gradual commercial expansions within our own periphery and beyond,” he said, adding that satellite will play a key role in every aspect including disaster management and securing border by the BGB and the Coastguard.
Following disaster, every network gets disrupted, thanks to satellite communications in place with the help of which the stakeholders can know what specific measures are required for addressing the post-catastrophic scenarios.
Experimentation has been done on launches and Coastguard boats around 200 nautical miles away to get connected with the VSAT.
Thales Alania was supposed to run the satellite for three years, but before that, Bangladeshi engineers are being able to operate it properly.
For satellite education, many universities have introduced curricula about it and studies are going on. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with aerospace school.
The authorities said they have plans to build VSAT and Lab in aerospace school where students can learn about it.
Satellite engineers are being created. International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) is giving priority to that.
Shah Ahmed kabir, GM (Sales and Marketing) at BSCL, said “According to the BTRC and the Government law, TV channels must take services from the satellite, thereby helping us publicise our services.”
All global media TV channels that wish to do business in Bangladesh are being brought under the satellite services gradually.
“Our operating cost is much lower; the amount we earn from the service, one tenth of which is needed for the monthly operating cost,” kabir argued.
Bangabandhu Satellite-2 to be launched within 2023
On February 2, BSCL signed the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos of Russia with the aim of launching Bangabandhu Satellite-2 within December 2023.
The second satellite will be able to monitor weather conditions and marine resources as well as forecast flood. Bangladesh is currently buying these services.
Russia would make the second satellite and discussion is going on about specifications, pricing and timing. However, some chips will be required for installing satellite which Russia will import from the USA. But after Russia invaded Ukraine, the import of chips has fallen into uncertainty.
In this regard, BSCL chairman said if Russia fails to do anything on its own, it will take help from the allied nations.
“The entire process is now moving at a snail’s pace, but we will move on after we get the go-ahead from the government,” added the official.
