Plans for Sky's unused spectrum at 28.2 East?

Band C (10950 to 11200 MHz) is empty at Sky's 28.2 orbital position, and
although it could provide
dozens of HDTV channels, none of Sky's present 4 satellites can use it.
Astra 2C could "move in" but it has a Europe wide beam and surely the BBC
and ITV, 4 and 5 would much prefer another "spot-beam" like Astra 2D for
future expansion of Free to Air services like ITV HD.

Will they move Astra 2C regardless, thereby effectively blocking any further
expansion of free to air services from BBC, ITV, 4 and 5, or is there a
possibility of another UK spot beam and a small new satellite,
"Astra 2E" perhaps?

Also, if Astra 2C did move to 28.2 East, wouldn't half of it's transponders
be made redundant because Astra 2D is already using those frequencies?
Doesn't this mean that another low power, single band, spot beam satellite,
like 2D but built for Band C instead of Band D, would be a better idea?
(Perhaps they should rename Astra 2C to Astra 1L since that's the next
available drive letter where it lives, and then we could have a nice tidy
naming convention at 28.2 East, with Astra 2D on Band D and a new Astra 2C
satellite with a UK spot beam on Band C.)

Stephen wrote:
Band C (10950 to 11200 MHz) is empty at Sky's 28.2 orbital position, and
although it could provide

[snip]

Please don't perpetrate the notion that Sky 'own' 28.2E or any satellites,
they don't.
No wonder Joe Public imagine that in the UK [Satellite TV]=[Sky].

Any decisions about moving satellites around etc come from the satellite
owners, Astra and EuroBird, although of course BSkyB have considerable
'clout' with those companies.


--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

although of course BSkyB have considerable
'clout' with those companies.

Yes, shame about that !

Dave

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
snip

Any decisions about moving satellites around etc come from the
satellite
owners, Astra and EuroBird, although of course BSkyB have
considerable
'clout' with those companies.


Err, I would put it the other way around, Astral and EuroBird have
considerable clout with BSkyB, although BSkyB will be a valued
customer there are and always will be other customers who could fill
BSkyB's shoes.

Jerry wrote:
"Mark Carver" wrote in message

Any decisions about moving satellites around etc come from the
satellite
owners, Astra and EuroBird, although of course BSkyB have
considerable
'clout' with those companies.


Err, I would put it the other way around, Astral and EuroBird have
considerable clout with BSkyB, although BSkyB will be a valued
customer there are and always will be other customers who could fill
BSkyB's shoes.

But Sky have made 28.2 their 'de facto' orbital position. Apart from a
few Czech channels on Eurobird, everything else is UK 'Sky Platform'.

Indeed I rather suspect the continued delay by BBC/ITV to launch their
Freesat' service is due to Sky's tight grip and control of the SI
streams on Astra's birds.

In article , Stephen [email protected]
nkmail.sptv.demon.co.uk writes
Band C (10950 to 11200 MHz) is empty at Sky's 28.2 orbital position, and
although it could provide
dozens of HDTV channels, none of Sky's present 4 satellites can use it.
Astra 2C could "move in" but it has a Europe wide beam and surely the BBC
and ITV, 4 and 5 would much prefer another "spot-beam" like Astra 2D for
future expansion of Free to Air services like ITV HD.

Will they move Astra 2C regardless, thereby effectively blocking any further
expansion of free to air services from BBC, ITV, 4 and 5, or is there a
possibility of another UK spot beam and a small new satellite,
"Astra 2E" perhaps?

Also, if Astra 2C did move to 28.2 East, wouldn't half of it's transponders
be made redundant because Astra 2D is already using those frequencies?
Doesn't this mean that another low power, single band, spot beam satellite,
like 2D but built for Band C instead of Band D, would be a better idea?
(Perhaps they should rename Astra 2C to Astra 1L since that's the next
available drive letter where it lives, and then we could have a nice tidy
naming convention at 28.2 East, with Astra 2D on Band D and a new Astra 2C
satellite with a UK spot beam on Band C.)



Its about time there was a free to air service to the UK that could
carry TV without the dictates of the Sky box
--
Tony Sayer

In article , Mark Carver
writes
Stephen wrote:
Band C (10950 to 11200 MHz) is empty at Sky's 28.2 orbital position, and
although it could provide

[snip]

Please don't perpetrate the notion that Sky 'own' 28.2E or any satellites,
they don't.
No wonder Joe Public imagine that in the UK [Satellite TV]=[Sky].

Any decisions about moving satellites around etc come from the satellite
owners, Astra and EuroBird, although of course BSkyB have considerable
'clout' with those companies.



Reckon that could be the other way round Mark!...
--
Tony Sayer

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
oups.com...
..

But Sky have made 28.2 their 'de facto' orbital position. Apart from a
few Czech channels on Eurobird, everything else is UK 'Sky Platform'.


Not sure about that.
The other day whilst channel and satellite hopping I noticed Sky News on at
least one other satellite and lots of other Sky stations to another Europeon
country.

Its about time there was a free to air service to the UK that could
carry TV without the dictates of the Sky box
--
Tony Sayer


There is. The BBC and some other broadcasters already provide free to
air digital transmissions. However, a Sky (or Sky+) receiver is the
only type of equipment with a decoder that is able to decode:

a) subscription channels transmitted via the Sky platform

b) Free-to-view channels (as opposed to Free to Air) via the Sky
platform (primarily Ch4 and five, which are encrypted,
non-subscription channels)

BBC and some other broadcasters already transmit Free to Air
programmes from the Astra 2A/2B/2D and Eurobird 1 satellites at 28.2E
(i.e. the same location as Sky transmissions to the UK)

Consequently, there is nothing to prevent a viewer in the UK from
using a different type of digital receiver (i.e. non-Sky equipment)
to view any channel that is genuinely Free to Air (i.e. not
encrypted).

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
snip

Its about time there was a free to air service to the UK that could
carry TV without the dictates of the Sky box

Indeed, and if Ofcom was doing it's job correctly - rather than
interfering in maters that really should not concern them (how come
Ofcom can now control the content of adverts, I thought that was the
ASA's area of dictact?)...

BSkyB should lose control of the up-link, down-link, EPG and
subscription management (encryption / decryption) - in line with the
up and coming EU's "Television without Frontiers" directive there
should really be a common encryption method or at least no platform
specific encryption such as BSkyB use IYSWIM.