Sun Direct to invest Rs 750 mn in adding transponders from Measat

MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Sun Direct has earmarked an investment of Rs 75 crore (Rs 750 million) as it seeks to add channel-carriage capacity by hiring more Ku-band transponders from Malaysian communications satellite company Measat.Sun Direct, which currently has four transponders,is hoping to get six to nine transponders once Measat launches its sixth satellite Measat-3b on 6 June. Measat-3b’s 48 Ku-band transponders will take Measat’s fleet of Ku-band transponders to 84.“Measat will launch the satellite in the first week of June. Then after regulatory clearance, we will get our transponders. We hope to get six to nine transponders out of the 12 available in 6–8 weeks from the satellite launch,” Sun Direct managing director Mahesh Kumar told TelevisionPost.com.Sun Direct is keen to add over 170 channels,including 20 HD channels. “We plan to invest Rs 75 crore in capacity addition which will allow us to add 20 HD channels and more than 150 SD channels,” Kumar added. Kumar said that Sun Direct did not have sufficient capacity, and the availability of additional transponders from Measat will help it plug the gaps in its South India market, where it is a strong player.The DTH player is also eyeing Phases III and IV of the digital addressable system (DAS) process to grow its subscriber base that is estimated to be 9.5 million. “We have some gaps in the South,so we will add a small portion of channels for that market; the remaining channels will be for the rest of India. Phases III and IV of digitisation also offer us opportunity to grow our subscriber base.We have identified some key markets in the North,in DAS Phases III and IV, for expansion,” revealed Kumar. He also outlined how the DTH company was improving on its customer support through Sunshine centres. The company has already launched more than 200 Sunshine centres across the Southern India to provide end-to-end services to the existing customers. “The Sunshine centres will help to get closer to the customers.We have launched more than 200 Sunshine centres in South India. Our immediate goal is to have 500 Sunshine centres. Right now, we are present in the district headquarters, but we want to have a Sunshine town in every town,” he said. Sun Direct has also introduced a 24×7 service hotline number: 076010-12345 that will allow subscribers to seek instant solutions to their problems with regard to product usage, its services and new connection. The hotline number will ensure that customer grievances are addressed within 48 hours.When operational, the Measat-3b satellite will be used to expand and support video and data services across Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Australia. Developed by Airbus Defence and Space, Measat-3b is a state-of-the-art satellite with a total project cost of $350 million.