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If this proposal is given the go-ahead, DD may well be the first
one to start a DTH service in the country; though with a difference:
the service will not be as costly as normal DTH services are round
the globe.
According to officials in India's information and broadcasting ministry,
Prasar Bharati wants to start Ku-band transmission in N-E India
to bring on to the television map remote areas of the country where
normal terrestrial or cable TV services are unable to penetrate.
The officials pointed out that Prasar Bharati-government talks
are on to see the feasibility of such a project as a major part
of the funding is likely to come from the government.
Meanwhile, Prasar Bharati has started C-band cable transmissions
in certain parts of N-E India in a bid to take DD and other private
satellite channels to places where its terrestrial services are
not available as also to counter cross-border propaganda by some
neighbouring countries. Certain states and cities in N-E India are
open to TV propaganda material from countries like China, Myanmar
and Bhutan.
But the official was quick to point out that such a KU-band service
should not be construed as a full-fledged DTH service.
At one time, Prasar Bharati was also in talks with the partly government
owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd and state-controlled Mahanagar Telephone
Nigam Ltd, running telecom networks in Delhi and Mumbai, to jointly
put together a proper DTH platform. But the talks did not make much
headway owing to the huge investment that is needed for a DTH service
and related infrastructure to man it.
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