Kazakhstan launched National satellite broadcast network
ASTANA. January 18. KAZINFORM /Kanat Kulshmanov/ Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev has taken part in a ceremony of launch of the National satellite broadcast network of DVB-S2 digital standard in Astana today.
"Today, due to the launch of the satellite digital TV, all Kazakhstanis will be able to watch the domestic television channels. We have built this network on the basis of the up-to-date DVB-S2 digital television broadcast standards implemented worldwide", Minister of Communications and Information Askar Zhumagaliyev informed at the ceremony.
According to him, the Ministry has entered into the memos with the akimats of the regions under which the governors are obliged to provide the socially disadvantaged citizens with satellite equipment worth up to KZT 22, 000.
As the Minister said, implementation of the new system of satellite broadcast will let the Kazakhstanis including those living in remote and near-border settlements watch up to 37 national and regional TV programs via the satellite channels. 18 national, 14 regional television and 3 radio channels are tested currently. The subscribers can also watch 50 foreign channels for a fee.
In order to launch such project, three ground receiving and transmitting stations in Almaty, Astana and Uralsk cities were modernized. The satellite network of Kazakhstan Telecommunications JSC was switched to new DVB-S2 MPEG 4.8 PSK satellite broadcast standard.
The next stage of building the national TV broadcasting network will be the transfer of the analog broadcasting network to DVB/T2 digital standard. The realization of the project is scheduled for 2011-2015.