MEASAT-3d is launching early tomorrow morning (23rd June) and it marks a new milestone for MEASAT. This is their latest and most advanced satellite yet which will provide faster broadband access in unserved rural areas that lack access to 4G and fibre.
How to watch MEASAT-3d launch?
MEASAT-3d will be launched at the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on Ariane 5 flight VA257. The launch window is from 21:03 to 22:43 UTC on 22nd June. That’s between 5:03am to 6:43am Malaysian time on 23rd June. The event will be streamed live via Astro Awani on YouTube and Facebook. You can also watch the VA257 launch on Arianespace’s YouTube channel as embedded below:
Why is MEASAT-3d important for Malaysia?
MEASAT-3d uses a Eurostar E3000 satellite which is built by Airbus and it is MEASAT’s 8th satellite built at a cost of RM1.2 billion. Besides providing C-band and Ku-band for TV, video distribution and telecommunication needs, this is also a High-Throughput Satellite that offers Ka-band for faster satellite connectivity. It is also the first satellite in the Asia Pacific region to carry Q/V-Band payload for the purpose of designing future MEASAT HTS satellites.
MEASAT-3d will enable even faster broadband in unserved rural areas in Malaysia through its ConnectMe Now service. With the new satellite, rural communities in any corner of Malaysia will be able to access get download speeds of up to 100Mbps, which is a significant upgrade from the current 30Mbps. The new satellite has a higher 30Gbps capacity which will be able to connect up to 2 million users in Malaysia. ConnectMe Now is seen as the best alternative to quickly address coverage gaps in rural and hard-to-reach areas in Malaysia.
Related reading
- MEASAT-3d launch is happening this Thursday, here are 5 things you need to know
- MEASAT-3d satellite is launching on 23 June, will enable high-speed broadband up to 100Mbps
- ConnectMe Satellite Broadband service has been deployed at 1,000 sites in rural Malaysia
- This is how broadband can be deployed quickly in rural areas where 4G coverage is not available
