New Sky TV satellite to combat rain fade

The ageing Optus B1 Satellite.

Sky TV is promising more channels and less rain fade as the replacement for its ageing satellite gets set for a September launch.

Optus, the company which provides the satellite service for Sky, yesterday confirmed receiving the new D1 satellite from its American manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corporation.

The D1 is scheduled for a September launch from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, via an Ariane 5 launcher.

The announcement comes as Auckland users yesterday experienced a day of intermittent service due to bad weather.

Sky TV spokesman Tony O'Brien said the new satellite would deliver greater capacity, and "more power", which would make rain fades less frequent.

The new satellite is expected to boost the pay-TV network's capacity by 25 per cent to a total of 75 channels. Mr O'Brien said customers would not notice the switch in satellites.

"There's no impact at all. They won't notice."

Government-owned network infrastructure provider Broadcast Communications has also secured space on the satellite for digital TV broadcast and this is likely to become a plank in the Government's digital TV strategy.

The D1 satellite replaces the ageing Optus B1, which was launched in 1992 and is believed to have exceeded its lifespan.