With this contract, Shin Satellite's C-band capacity is sold out. Indian broadcasters will now have to go on unpopular satellites as other hot birds like Pas-4 and AsiaSat are also running house full. The other route available: to migrate from the analogue to digital transponders.

Said ETC Networks director Jagjit Kohli, "There is no analogue space available on a hot bird. Though price is a factor, this is one of the reasons why Zee is converting its analogue transponders into digital systems." Thaicom was an attractive alternative to several new channels as it had a strong footprint across the subcontinent and was priced cheaper than AsiaSat and Pas-4. Though a couple of other satellites like Singtel are available, they are not popular and have just a few channels using them.

ETC Punjabi, to be launched in the first week of June, will be one of the last analogue channels on Thaicom. "It was a hot bird for regional channels. It was cheaper, technically sound and provided a high penetration," said Kohli.

Doordarshan, which beams the Kashmiri channel from the Thaicom satellite, plans to put up three more channels. Broadcast Worldwide's four digitised, regional channels will be uplinked from Thaicom. The Department of Space has leased 10 transponders from Shin Satellite since 1998. Other major customers on Thaicom satellites include many private sector cable TV customers in India such as Raj TV, ETC TV, Maharishi TV and Jain TV. ATN Bangla of Bangladesh, Pakistan TV and TV Maldives are also on the satellite.

Customers outside the Indian subcontinent have increased their use of C-band for Ethnic Television, leasing space on Shin Satellite's C-band Global Beam such as television operators in Greece, Turkey, the Netherlands, Australia, Cambodia and Laos. They broadcast programmes from their own countries to expatriates and ethnic groups living abroad.

Said Shin Satellite Public Company chief commercial officer Yongsit Rojsrivichaikul, "Our C-band utilisation reached a level of about 80 per cent. The latest signings ensure the company's C-band transponders are now 100 per cent full."

Broadcasters wanting to be on a hot bird will have to wait for Pas-10 which is scheduled for launch early next year. The Ku-band transponders in the region are also lying unutilised but can't be used as the government has prohibited its use.

Several broadcasters are migrating to digital transponders as that will provide them additional space to get in more channels. Discovery Communications, which is planning to launch a few new channels, will go digital in the first quarter of 2001. It is phasing out its analogue boxes.

Shin satellite is also using the C-band service for its Internet access product, Internet Protrunk, to countries such as Iran, China, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This has also contributed to the filling of C-band capacity.

With the C-band capacity full, Shin Satellite has prepared its Ku-Band transponders to accept more Internet-via-satellite business. Future plans include the launch of a new satellite called iPSTAR in 2002, Yongsit said.