MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd (“MEASAT”) and PLANETCAST Media Services Limited (“PLANETCAST”)— formerly Essel Shyam Communication Ltd.—have an agreement that will provide PLANETCAST with premium video distribution services across India.
The agreement looks to increase in particular HD and 4K/UHD offerings in India with the potential to expand across the Asia Pacific. Under the terms of the agreement, PLANETCAST has signed for capacity on MEASAT-3a’s global C-band beam. The satellite is located at 91.5 degrees East.
Through this agreement, PLANETCAST is able to leverage MEASAT’s video expertise and can now offer HD and 4K/UHD video distribution solutions from the region’s leading video hotslot. MEASAT distributed Asia-Pacific’s first HD channel in 2007 and first 4K/UHD linear channel in 2015. The 91.5°E video hotslot is also the region’s strongest satellite neighborhood with three co-located satellites – MEASAT-3, MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b.
According to Mr. Lalit Jain, Executive Director, PLANETCAST, India is going to add 400 million first-time Internet users over the coming years, and these users will be local language users, creating a huge demand for regional HD content.