INTERVIEW WITH Mr. P.S. Sundaram
1. Sir, How do you rate the quality of satellite broadcast in India compared to the other part of the world, both developed and developing countries ?
2. With the opening up of uplinks from the country, is there any appreciable development and market for indigenous technologies ?
3. Are we in a position to develop unlink electronic equipments indigenously or may have to depend on imports for years to come or the demand is not good enough for developing industries locally?
4. : What about the value added services in satellite broadcasting ?Are we in a position to provide such services in the country ?
5. What is the status in terms of digital broadcast i.e. in terms of data compression and other technologies that are being talked about ?
6. With the privatization of FM. will it be commercially viable for private vendors to take it up ? What types of scenarios are envisaged?
7. In calamity situations with such a large network support, we are having, what is the role that the broadcast/Telecast network play to reach out information to the affected areas and agencies involved?
8. In education sphere what type of changes you feel, will be brought out by such powerful tool?
9. What are the future technologies in store and its relevance to our country?

Com com: Sir, How do you rate the quality of satellite broadcast in India compared to the other part of the world, both developed and developing countries ?

P. S. SUNDARAM: The Satellite Television Channels beamed to Indian sub-continent are from several Satellites like New Skies Satellite(NSS) 703, Intelsat 704, Apstar, Thaicom 3, INSAT series satellites - 2B/2E, INTELSAT APR 1, Asiasat 2, Asiasat 3S, Palapa C2 etc. The number of channels those can be received from these satellites exceed more than 100. While many of the services still continue to be analog, new services and some of the old & popular services are in digital mode in MPEG 2 - DVB compatible format. The quality of the signals of many of these broadcast services conform to internal standards. However, few services are much inferior and are of poor quality, mainly due to its poor video source quality.

Despite the good quality of the satellite receive signal, the signal impairment takes place through many of the unscientifically designed cable TV distribution networks in our country. Though Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has stipulated the following standards, I am sure many of the Cable TV networks do not adhere to the quality parameters as stipulated in these standards.

The following is the list of the Bureau of Indian Standards

(BIS) for the Cable TV Distribution Network.

1. Cabled Distribution systems for Television and Sound Signals - Specification:

 (a) IS 14231 (Part 1) : 1995 - Part 1 Safety Requirements

 (b) IS 14231 (Part 2) : 1995 - Part 2 Electromagnetic compatibility for components and systems

 (c) IS 14231 (Part 3) : 1995 - Part 3 Active Coaxial Wideband Distribution Components

 (d) IS 14231 (Part 4) : 1995 - Part 4 Passive Coaxial Wideband Distribution Components

 (e) IS 14231 (Part 5) : 1995 - Part 5 Headend

 (f) IS 14231 (Part 6) : 1995 - Part 6 System Performance requirements

 2. Satellite Signal Distribution on Cabled Distribution Systems - Specification

 (a) IS 14264 : 1995

There are a few networks in the country particularly in Mumbai and Chennai who utilise optical fibre system combined with state-of-the-art distribution components to provide good quality signal to the viewers. Unless the distribution networks are upgraded with the right equipment and cable, the quality of the signal and the number of channels, which could be put through the cable network, will be poor and low.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


COM COM: With the opening up of uplinks from the country, is there any appreciable development and market for indigenous technologies ?

P. S. SUNDARAM : With the Government of India permitting uplinking to the satellite by the broadcasters or/and by infrastructure providers to set-up and extend such services (as I understand), I am sure that there would be enough players willing to put up the uplink facilities for their own use or as Teleports. However, there are many factors, which need to be considered particularly the economics, commercial viability, whether ISP Gateways would be permitted to be cosited, whether other data services, SNG uplinks and hub etc would be permitted? It may not be economical to put up uplink facility for one or two signals unless it becomes a mandatory requirement for programmes like news and current affairs.

In our country already two private broadcasters mainly SUN TV and EENADU TV have already set up their exclusive satellite uplink facilities for analog and digital services at Chennai and Hyderabad respectively.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: Are we in a position to develop unlink electronic equipments indigenously or may have to depend on imports for years to come or the demand is not good enough for developing industries locally?

P. S. SUNDARAM: On the basis of a cursory study of the existing satellite broadcasting services in our country and keeping in mind the likely expansion and entry of new players, I feel that few broadcasters - around 10 to 12 - would go for setting up satellite uplink facility for their own use. Others may have to depend on other service providers like VSNL/Doordarshan or any other new agency.

 The requirements of uplink equipment such as upconverters, modulators, multiplexers, digital MPEG II encoders etc. are not be indigenously manufactured and the required quantity may not justify indigenous manufacturing. However, many companies like BEL, ECIL, Comsat - Hyderabad, Karthik Engg, are manufacturing the dish antennas in India. - Chennai etc.. It is worth considering the option of utilizing these antennas, subject to their meeting the prescribed standards by the satellite agencies.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: What about the value added services in satellite broadcasting ?Are we in a position to provide such services in the country ?

P. S. SUNDARAM: The Digital Video Broadcasting standard - DVB-S MPEG 2 profile offers transmission of data services, which could be effectively utilised for information service, wireless internet for down linking the WEB pages etc. With the satellite uplink facilities, which have already been set up for digital service and which are likely to be set up, it is quite possible to utilize the chain for such value added services (data services) combined effective cable distribution with 2 way communication capability. It is quite possible to provide data service such as internet/information to the viewers direct from satellite and/or through cable delivery.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: What is the status in terms of digital broadcast i.e. in terms of data compression and other technologies that are being talked about ?

P. S. SUNDARAM : The satellite digital system is based on DVB-S, MPEG II standard. The main profile adopted for digital shall conform to 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 and more information on DVB Standard can be had from the web site

www. dvb.org.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: With the privatization of FM. will it be commercially viable for private vendors to take it up ? What types of scenarios are envisaged?

P. S. SUNDARAM: With the privatization of FM in 40 centres in the country under the phase I programme , many private companies are likely to take up this venture for setting up FM broadcast infrastructures and initiate private commercial services, which of course would exclude news and current affairs. Though the private FM broadcast services in centers where the number of private FM broadcasters is less than three may be commercially viable, at the same time it may not be an encouraging business for all the licensees in Metros and other cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Indore, Lucknow, Vizag, Ahmedabad and Pune. It may be worthwhile for the private FM Broadcasters to consider using data services for information, advt. panels etc. to make the FM services commercially viable. Unless new & innovative methods are adopted and efforts are made to revive and motivate radio listening , private FM broadcasting may take a long time to become commercially viable.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: In calamity situations with such a large network support, we are having, what is the role that the broadcast/Telecast network play to reach out information to the affected areas and agencies involved?

P. S. SUNDARAM: Broadcast infrastructure in any country is considered as part of the national information infrastructure. In the case of national disasters, radio would serve as a much better tool to broadcast disaster warning messages.. The radio signal could also be transmitted through satellite. A pilot project to transmit disaster warning messages to fisherman of Gujarat coast has been started by BECIL and Gujarat Maritime Board, utilizing the technologies of World Space - AFRISTAR satellite. This experiment of receive system installed in about 80 boats is currently on and may soon get expanded to additional boats.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: In education sphere what type of changes you feel, will be brought out by such powerful tool?

P. S. SUNDARAM: Though radio and television media are ideally suited for distant education purpose, it has not been fully exploited in our country. Even today, radio and television are still considered to be the medium for entertainment alone. The situation has to change and Open Universities should go forward to utilize the media for providing educational programme through radio/ television. The data services which are possible through this medium will also be highly useful to transmit text and graphic material to students.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COM COM: What are the future technologies in store and its relevance to our country?

P. S. SUNDARAM: DTH ( Direct to Home) Television service in Ku band and Digital Terrestrial  Television Broadcasting (DTTB) are the future technologies which will revolutionise broadcasting in India. These two technologies will offer wider choice of programmes to the viewers and could also provide wireless internet services at a high capacity data rate.

In radio broadcasting, the likely new technology is the Satellite Radio of WorldSpace through ASIASTAR Satellite. The success of this service would depend on the the availability of low cost receivers.


COM COM: Thank you very much for sharing your views with comcom.