India to launch satellite for multimedia broadcasts

Category: 3G | No Comments | Posted on December 2, 2005

India on Thursday announced plans to launch by 2008 a satellite capable of offering multimedia broadcasts to mobile phones and audio-video receivers fitted in vehicles.

The project to design, develop and launch GSAT-6/INSAT-4E, a multimedia mobile satellite system, at an estimated cost of Rs.2.69 billion ($58.5 million) was cleared by a meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

GSAT-6, to be built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will offer a satellite-digital multimedia broadcasting (S-DMB) service and can also be used for strategic and social applications, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.

DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) is a digital transmission system for sending data, radio and TV to mobile devices such as mobile phones. It can operate via satellite (S-DMB) or terrestrial (T-DMB) transmission.

Also Read: SK Telecom’s Satellite DMB Service