At least half a dozen foreign satellite firms with over 100 C-band transponders are talking to domestic media firms about possible launching of headend-in-the-sky (HITS) cable distribution platforms, according to Business Standard.
Already, the Essel Group has got permission to launch HITS operation on Asiasat-4, a foreign satellite. Essel Group has booked 10 C-band transponders on Asiasat for HITS rollout that will be able to carry over 150 digital-quality cable channels.
This has driven many foreign satellite firms like Asiasat, Intelsat, NSS-6 and Eutelsat, among others, to initiate the talks with media companies
HITS is a satellite-based cable distribution platform through which digital quality cable televsion channels can be distributed, and which saves on ground handling costs.
Apart from Essel Group, at least six other domestic media firms have shown interest in obtaining and subsequently launching HITS operations. Currently they are waiting for the government policy to be announced
However, Wire & Wireless India Ltd (WWIL, earlier known as Siticable), the cable arm of Essel Group, got the licence to operate HITS over five years ago.
According to sources in WWIL, the trial-run for HITS across major towns will begin in the next few days.
"We have a couple of internal meetings after which HITS will be launched. Except the channels from STAR India and MSM Discovery (Sony bouquet) all other broadcasters have given us their channels for HITS rollout. We expect even STAR and Sony bouquets to
come on our platform shortly" a senior executive of Essel Group familiar with the HITS rollout plan said
According to government sources, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has indicated to the media companies that foreign satellites can be used if there is a scarcity of C-band transponders on Indian satellites and the Indian Space Research Organisation has no objections for the commercial use of a foreign satellite.
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