31 TV channels ready to use Bangabandhu-1 satellite

At least thirty one Television channels, both public and private, are set to go on air with the support of Bangabandhu-1, the country's first communication satellite.

Shahjahan Mahmood, Chairman of Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Ltd (BCSCL), disclosed this information while taking to newsmen at his office on Thursday.

Through this, Bangabandhu-1 satellite is going to start its commercial service after one year of its launch.

Bangladesh entered the elite Space Club of 57 nations with the launch of its first geostationary communications satellite into the orbit by US space transport company SpaceX on May 12.

The satellite was launched using the latest version of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, from the historic Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

BCSCL chairman Shahjahan Mahmood said, “We didn’t receive any money through our service on-test. We won’t also get any benefit for the first three months as we have to provide 3-month cost free service. We will rectify the technical errors during this period.”

BCSCL chairman also informed that a private bank is going to use the service for their ATM booth services with these 31 TV channels.

“We can get a benefit of TK 20 to 25 lakh, after the 3-month cost free service of Bangabandhu-1 satellite,” Shahjahan Mahmood added.

On Wednesday, the state news agency BSS reported that Bangabandhu-1 satellite (BS-I) is set to start commercial service of Direct-To-Home (DTH) television on May 19 and the BCSCL have already completed all necessary arrangements.

Source: dailysun