MEASAT Global Berhad has announced that the MEASAT-3d satellite will be launched on 22nd June 2022 (23 June, Malaysia Time). This is their new High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) which will enable high-speed internet in underserved rural areas with speeds of up to 100Mbps.
The MEASAT-3d satellite which costs RM1.2 billion will be the most comprehensive and complex satellite in MEASAT’s fleet yet. It uses Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 and it’s designed with an estimated lifespan of 18 years. MEASAT-3d will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The new satellite will complement MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b at the 91.5°E hotslot.
Following the retirement of MEASAT-3, the new satellite will restore in-orbit redundancy and expansion capacity for Astro’s Direct-to-Home (DTH) service together with broadcasting and telecommunications services in the region. The satellite also provides conventional C and Ku-Band capacity to ensure growth and service continuity for the world’s leading broadcasters and DTH satellite television to over 20 million households across Malaysia, Indonesia, and India.
MEASAT-3d also incorporates a Ka-band High Throughput Satellite (HTS) payload, the largest HTS payload exclusively reserved for local demand in Malaysia. With more than 30Gbps in capacity, the new satellite will increase MEASAT’s satellite broadband capacity throughput tenfold from the current 3Gbps. As a result, it will improve the current MEASAT satellite broadband service offering from 30Mbps downloads to 100Mbps, which will enable users to stream data-heavy content such as 4K and 8K videos.
MEASAT Chief Operating Officer Yau Chyong Lim said “MEASAT is proud to support Malaysian Government initiatives including the Jalinan Digital Negara (“JENDELA”) plan to close the digital connectivity gap and enable a better-connected future for all Malaysians, by expanding high-speed internet coverage in under-connected rural areas. With MEASAT-3d and through CONNECTme NOW, we look forward to providing internet access for the unserved population. As the pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of technology and the use of broadband for education, economic activity and social interaction, we have initiated a series of future satellite initiatives to improve broadband services and cellular backhaul in the next three to five years, to accelerate the formation of a digitally inclusive society.”
“With better access to the internet, the rakyat will be able to derive socioeconomic benefits such as participating in eCommerce and digital learning. We aim to fill the broadband gap in locations without 4G, DNB’s 5G mobile or fibre coverage in Malaysia. We are supporting the Government’s target to achieve 100% internet access by 2025 indicated in the MyDigital blueprint, as well as JENDELA targets for connecting and digitalising the nation,” he added.
MEASAT has been operating satellites for over 25 years starting with the launch of MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 in 1996. This is followed by MEASAT-3 in 2006, MEASAT-3a in 2009 and MEASAT-3b in 2014.
The launch on 22nd June is the Ariane 5 rocket’s first flight of 2022. Besides MEASAT-3d, the rocket will carry India’s GSAT-24, a Ku-band communications satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was also reported that MEASAT-3d will also carry an L-band navigation payload for Korean KT SAT as part of Korea Augmentation Satellite System to boost GPS accuracy.
Ariane flight 257 is scheduled for a launch window from 21:03 to 22:43 UTC on 22nd June. That’s 5:03am to 6:43am Malaysian time on 23rd June.
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