MUMBAI: Sun TV Network has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract with Intelsat SA, the fixed satellite services provider, for C-band capacity on the recently launched Intelsat 17 satellite (IS-17).

The agreement marks the second major programmer to join the line-up at Intelsat’s newly expanded video neighborhood in the Indian Ocean region.
  
Sun TV will use the new satellite capacity to expand its programming distribution to viewers across India and beyond. Sun TV will migrate its current 20 channels to IS-17 and use additional bandwidth to support its expansion plans.

The IS-17 satellite was launched in November 2010 and entered service in January this year. It provides C- and Ku-band capacity across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia from the 66? E orbital location, with an expected service life through 2026. 
 
“The IS-17’s multi-continental coverage provides us with a reliable and resilient distribution platform from which to serve our existing market, and also provides access to all of our potential distribution partners across the region,” said Sun TV CTO Sivanesh Kannan. “The satellite is ideally suited to support the introduction of new high-definition programming and ensures service continuity for many years to come.”

Intelsat’s SVP of Global Sales Kurt Riegelman said, “The addition of Sun TV further enhances IS-17 as the Indian Ocean region’s new programming neighborhood. We are grateful for the opportunity to support Sun TV’s regional content distribution requirements and HD expansion plans.”