Page 62 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Indonesia’s SATRIA-1 Satellite is Connected and Ready for 2024

Indonesia’s new internet satellite, SATRIA-1, to provide high-speed internet access to satellite has a total capacity of 150 Gbps.
has reportedly been successfully tested schools, medical centers and thousands PSN’s Adi said he was confident that the
and should be ready to begin operations of public and government facilities across final technical aspects and administrative
in early 2024. According to a report in the archipelago via VSAT connectivity. procedures could be completed before the
Jakarta Post, the Telecommunication and SATRIA-1 was built by Thales Alenia Space. end of the year, paving the way for SATRIA-1
Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) It was launched via SpaceX in June and to begin full operations early next year, the
announced last Friday that SATRIA-1 is reached its orbital slot last month. The report said.
now connected to the internet. Connectivity
trials were successfully conducted last
week in Manokwari, Jayapura, Ambon,
Batam, Kupang and Banjarbaru. BAKTI,
which operates under the Communication
and Information Ministry (Kominfo),
announced the test results on a Zoom call
that was itself connected via SATRIA-1.
Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of satellite
operator Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN),
said that the Zoom call made it “evident
that everything is starting to run smoothly,”
the Post reported. SATRIA-1 is a public-
private project between the Indonesian
government and a consortium led by PSN.
The US$550 million satellite project, which
has been in the works since 2019, aims

DISH and EchoStar Secure FCC Approvals for Merger

FCC divisions the Office of Engineering to merge in August in a move that DISH The agreement was amended in October
and Technology, the Space Bureau, and the said would combine DISH Network’s to make DISH a wholly-owned subsidiary
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau have satellite technology, streaming services of EchoStar on completion. Analysts are
approved the merger of US pay TV operator and nationwide 5G network with EchoStar’s divided on DISH’s prospects as it seeks to
DISH Network and satellite communications premier satellite communications solutions, build a sustainable business while servicing
outfit EchoStar, a move seen as crucial to creating a global leader in terrestrial and a large debt pile in the face of ongoing
keeping DISH in business over the coming non-terrestrial wireless connectivity. subscriber losses. DISH saw its revenues
year. Both DISH and EchoStar are controlled Ergen described the combination as “a slide to US$3.7 billion in the quarter to
by Charlie Ergen, and were part of the same strategically and financially compelling September, down from US$4.1 billion for the
company – EchoStar – before splitting in combination that is all about growth and same period in 2022. Net income dropped
2008. The pair announced their agreement building a long-term sustainable business”. from US$412 million to a loss of US$139
million. The company closed the quarter
with 8.84 million pay TV subscribers,
including 6.72 million DISH TV subscribers
and 2.12 million Sling TV streaming subs.
Pay TV losses failed to offset a streaming
increase. Sling added 214,000 subscribers,
a low number than for the prior year period,
which the company attributed to strong
competition in the pay video sector. DISH
TV’s rate of loss – 181,000 in the quarter
– was actually lower than its prior year
rate of loss. Retail wireless net subscribers
decreased by approximately 225,000 in the
third quarter, compared to a net increase of
1,000 in the year-ago quarter.

62 DECEMBER 2023