Now a digital radio:

Along with INSAT 3B the French launch vehicle "Ariane"carried another geo-stationary satellite "Asiastar" which is to be exclusively for audio and data communications. More or less it can be equated to Direct to Home TV and can be
called DTP or Direct to person audio.

Com-Com met Mr D.Venugopal Vice-President operations of the World Space in India who himself is a reputed Space engineer. dvenugopal@worldspace.com

com-com: Good morning Mr Venugopal. Thank you very much for sparing your time for Comcom magazine. Before we proceed on the digital audio broadcasting, we would like to have brief profile of your background and experiences

Venugopal: I am basically an electroncis and communication engineer specialising in microwave and radar from IIT Kharagpur. I worked for sometime in the overseas communication service and operated the first INTELSAT earth station in India that is at Arvi near Pune. Subsequently Ijoined the Indian Space Research organisation at the Space Applications centre, Ahemedabad and had a stint of 9 years there and then moved on to ISRO headquarters at Bangalore. I
had long association with ISRO for about 18 years. I had contributed towards the definition of Insat series of satellites and introduction of many innovative services like the disaster warning system, radio networking and also introduction of mobile satellite services in the country and on the development communication front also new initiatives were added with the introductin of Training and Development
communication channel and the Jabua Development communication programme. I was also looking after the total SATCOM programme planning and introduction of the new services. For the past two years I am now with the world space-the first digital audio broadcasting system in the world. It is a 3 geo stationary satellite system. The first satellite AFRISTAR has become operational from October 1999.

More than 25 broadcasters are already providing 35 digital quality programmes. The second satellite has been launched along with INSAT 3B in March 2000 i.e. the Asiastar satellite. It is undergoing rigorous inorbit tests. It will be available for operational use from July this year.

COMCOM: You have been long associated with ISRO doing indigenous research and finding substitutes for imported technology. Now you have changed over to a multinational company. Do you feel that your experience in ISRO has helped you in digital audio broadcasting or since ISRO has no plans for digital audio broadcasting, you have joined worldspace.

Venugopal: It is not the question of digital audio broadcasting alone. What is now emerging is the introdcution of services in the fastest time frame so that the services are available to the country. World space happens to be the only system in the world in digital audiobroadcasting. This could provide digital services to many areas which are not served adequately with good quality programmes. The second thing is that we arenot only looking for entertainment service. We are looking for a many new applications with this system like sending emergency messages to fishermen in the deep seas; because of the huge coverage of our system -each beam of our satellite covers about 14million square kilometres and the signal is very powerful. This enables the signals reach directly the fishermen even in the deep seas. We are also looking for some educational networks , rural information services; all these are possible to implement in a fastest way with very little expenditure.

COMCOM: Can you still dilute and explain in a common man's language what is digital audio broadcasting?

Venugopal: Satellite based digital audio broadcasting is a newthing. Normal audio channel is converted into digital mode, it requires very large bandwith. Because we are using the latest digital compression technology mpg2.5 even a CD quality at 1.4mega bits persecond can be compressed to something like 128 kilobits to provide near CD quality. Similarly stereoFM can be provided at 64 kilobits per second. Second things that since we provide very high powered signals from satellite, it is possible to receive the signal with very small antenna, like almost a saucertype. The receivers are very simple, rugged and easy
to use. We have already developed a chipset with small antenna the receivers are not at all expensive. Because it is digital technology as the things progress the cost of the receivers is likely to come down. Today the receivers cost 130 to 180US dollars FOB. We expect that the prices will come down over the next one year substantially to below 100 dollars. Once the price comes down we expect somany services to be introduced. Another advantage the common man gets is the abundance of channels. Something like 40-60 digital quality audio channels to be available which other systems are not capable of and this facility is available throughout the coverage area of the satellite. This systems operate on batteries and portability is the special feature. Because 40-60 channels are available the broadcastes can think of niche channels which was not possible in single terrestrial
channels. One dedicated channel for news, another for music, we can have classical music- hidustani, carnatic, jazz, dedicated educational channel- all these things are possible to be introduced. Another advantage that since the signals are digital you can introduced dataservices,multimedia broadcasting services which will be very effective for the distance education sector and even for corporate communications. It can be used to provide a well directed rural information services.

COMCOM: Who are your collaborators in India? Who are all likely to take slots.

Venugopal: We have been working with difference broadcasters. Many broadcasters including All India Radio are taking interest in taking a channel. By the end of the year at least 10 broadcasters from India are likely to take slots in the satellite. Over the next two 10-15 broadcasters will join the system.

COMCOM: Can you compare it with Iridium telephony?

Venugopal: Iridium is a totally different system. It was supposed to provide two way communication to handheld terminals.The system is based on low-earth orbiting satellites. 66 satellites were used in Iridium. Handset is itself was something like 3000 dollars. Ours is only oneway broadcasting using geostationary satellite. Price range is less than 150 dollars. In oneshot you can cover the entire system coming under the purview. Wheres in Iridium you need a constellation of
satellites.