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Asiasat launches Asiasat 2 platform from Hong Kong
MUMBAI: Asian satellite operator, Asiasat, has announced that it has established a new distribution platform. This new Multiple Channels per Carrier (MCPC) DVB platform will provide video, audio, data and IP based broadcast services on AsiaSat 2 from Asiasat’s Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong.
Utilising the full power of a 36 MHz C-band transponder on AsiaSat 2, this MCPC platform can initially support up to ten digital television channels. Through its facilities at the Tai Po Earth Station, AsiaSat will provide a one-stop solution including signal downlink, turnaround and uplink services from Hong Kong onto AsiaSat 2, which is dedicated to video distribution and contribution services. The strategic location of Hong Kong will allow this platform not only provide a key element of a broadcasting solution for video signals to Asia but also form part of a broadcasters global distribution solution.
This type of platform enables the broadcasters to benefit from the higher effective power of a transponder. It enables the deployment of smaller dishes and translates into significant cost savings in terms of ground infrastructure for end users.
Asiasat CEO, Peter Jackson, said, “With the large number of receiving antennas already looking at Asiasat 2, this MCPC platform presents broadcasters and content providers with an ideal solution for programme and content delivery targeting all cable headends, terrestrial television stations as well as pay TV platform operators in Asia.”
“The addition of this platform further strengthens Asiasat’s portfolio of services and complements other AsiaSat 2 MCPC digital platforms operated by our teleport partners in the Middle East. It also augments our ability to provide more comprehensive and innovative satellite services to meet changing customers’ needs in the future.”
AsiaSat 2 operates at an orbital location of 100.5 degrees East. The satellite is a Lockheed Martin Series 7000 model and carries twenty 36 MHz and four 72 MHz C-band, as well as nine 54 MHz Ku-band linearised transponders. Its C-band footprint covers 53 countries embracing Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and the C.I.S. AsiaSat 2 also has a high-power Ku beam serving the Greater China region, Korea and Japan. AsiaSat 2 currently serves many regional and international broadcasters, wholesale news agencies, video service providers, teleport service providers for video and news distribution and contribution services, as well as governments and corporations for Vsat network services
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
