Ensure the best use of Bangabandhu satellite

Bangladesh started a glorious chapter in the history with the launching of Bangabandhu-1 satellite as it has become a proud member of the satellite club. Through the launching of the satellite into space, Bangladesh has become the 57^th country of this satellite club.

The historic event took place at 2:14am Bangladesh time on Friday when the country's first geostationary communication satellite started its voyage towards orbit from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, the USA. Falcon 9, the finest rocket of American firm SpaceX, started carrying the satellite to the orbit from the Cape Canaveral launching pad at 4:14pm US local time. The existence of Bangladesh has been visible in the space through this launching.

Earlier the satellite was supposed to be launched on Thursday night but it was suspended at the last moment as the operating computer did not send green signal for the launching. Later on Friday night, the satellite was launched into the space successfully. Bangabandhu-1 satellite will arrive at its own orbit in the space ten days after the launching and its service will be available one month later.

The successful launching of Bangladesh's first communication satellite into space is a pride for us. This satellite launching will bring about a revolutionary change in satellite TV, internet broadcast and telecommunication system in Bangladesh. We hope this achievement will take us to a long way. We thank all the people associated with the successful launching of the satellite to give the country a precious gift.

The satellite which is built at the cost of Tk 2,765 will travel 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface. Manufactured by the Thales Alenia Space of France, Bangladesh will operate satellite from 119.1 degree East using a payload comprising 26 Ku-Band and 14 C-Band transponders to deliver focused telecommunications coverage to Bangladesh. One transponder is equivalent to 36 MHz. Ku-band covers Bangladesh and its territorial area of the Bay of Bengal, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines. C-band covers Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and portions of Kazakhstan.

Bangladesh will get 40 types of services from the satellite. The satellite will offer video services for Direct-to-Home (DTH), e-learning, Tele-medicine, Family Planning, Farming etc while voice service to cellular backhaul and disaster recovery, etc and data service for internet, SCADA, SOHO as well as business-to-business (VSAT).

Bangabandhu-1 Satellite is to establish Bangladesh's own stake on the space opening up enormous opportunities providing three types of advantages involving fields of field of information and communication technology (ICT) and broadcasting industry alongside brightening Bangladesh image.

At present, satellite television channels in Bangladesh are carrying out its broadcasting activities by renting satellites from different countries of the world. As a result, Bangladesh has to spend a lot of money for this purpose. But this spending is not necessary as Bangladesh has now a satellite of its own. The country can earn foreign currency by renting the Bangabandhu-1 transponders to other countries.

The satellite should be utilized as a lot of money has been spent for this. We have to take necessary steps effectively and immediately to avail necessary services from the satellite. The satellite can be used for expansion of internet and telecommunication services in remote and rugged areas which still remained beyond the coverage. We have to ensure the best use of the satellite for the welfare of the country and its people.


risingbd/Dhaka/May 13, 2018/Ali Nowsher/AI