ISRO To Help Govt Setup Satellite TV Classrooms for Students

Space agency ISRO has given its nod to parliamentary panel to help set up satellite TV classrooms in India. ISRO will provide technical assistance for setting up satellite TV classrooms, which aims to bridge the gap in classroom-learning created due to the COVID-19 induced lockdowns.

ISRO scientists made a detailed presentation about the proposed satellite TV classrooms for students before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, which include the officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) and Doordarshan.

ISRO is ready to provide satellite rights to states in order to set up the proposed TV classrooms. Interestingly however, ISRO asked the committee if the "states will be willing to use the technology".

The states, whose education secretaries and senior officials attended the committee meeting were -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana and Arunachal Pradesh.

The panel discussed the establishment of satellite TV classrooms that will broadcast school-based educational programmes. 

It added that students can take advantage of these in cluster classrooms. This will also resolve the issue of smartphone availability and data connectivity, especially in rural areas.

Recently, a Nashik, Maharashtra-based community radio station called 'Radio Vishwas' helped students without smartphones to pursue their studies during lockdowns. The radio station has bagged national award.

Last month, the parliamentary panel led by Vinay Sahastrabuddhe had approached ISRO scientists wanting them to provide technical assistants to set up satellite TV classrooms for students who had reported a learning gap in the school syllabus created due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns.

European Public Broadcasters Sign Multi-Year Capacity Contracts on SES’s Prime TV Neighbourhoods

SES announced today that it has signed multi-year capacity agreements totaling over EUR 66 million in backlog with multiple public broadcasters in Europe throughout 2020, enabling millions of satellite TV households across Europe to continue watching SD and HD content delivered with world-class reliability. 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210221005077/en/

 

European Public Broadcasters Sign Multi-Year Capacity Contracts on SES’s Prime TV Neighbourhoods (Photo: Business Wire)

The public broadcasters who have signed contracts directly with SES include ARD and ZDF in Germany, BBC in the UK, BVN in the Netherlands, as well as TV5Monde and France 24 from France via its partner Globecast, strengthening SES’s position as the world’s leading global content connectivity provider.

 

With almost the entire global population being impacted by some form of COVID-19 containment measures throughout 2020, public broadcasters have seen a surge in viewers across all age groups relying on linear television programmes to get the latest, official and well-researched news about the pandemic. The increase in linear content in 2020 also reinforces satellite as the most reliable way to broadcast to the widest possible audience and in the best quality desired by the viewer.

 

The latest agreements signed between public broadcasters and SES illustrate how European broadcasters are leveraging SES’s satellites at the prime orbital slots of 19.2 degrees East and 28.2 degrees East to reach more than 89 million satellite TV homes, surpassing other satellite or terrestrial operators.

 

“Delivering TV programmes with reliable information and quality entertainment is important, especially in times of crisis. We are very pleased to help ARD, ZDF, BBC, TV5Monde, France 24 and BVN — some of the biggest names in European broadcasting — reach as many people as possible with their public service offering,” said Steve Collar, CEO at SES. “Satellite is an invaluable distribution resource today and it will remain so in the future, providing broadcasters with the largest reach, unmatched reliability, bandwidth efficiency and the ability to deliver superior content quality to millions of TV households in Europe.”

 

Follow us on:

 

Read our Blogs >

 

Visit the Media Gallery >

 

About SES

 

SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries over 8,300 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 367 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com.

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210221005077/en/

Jio to Launch TV Brand 'Reconnect'; Targets 35 Mn Customers in 1st Year of JioFiber Ops

Jio, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries, is targeting 35 million subscribers within the first year of commercially operationalising its fibre-based broadband business from next month, a senior official said.

A senior Jio official said the company will bundle in not just TV sets, but also desktops as part of the Jiofiber plan which will go commercially live from September 5.

He also hinted that the cable TV subscription is not a part of the plans ranging from low Rs 700 to a high Rs 10,000 per month.

Subscribers will have to pay separately for receiving the TV services which will be delivered either through the cable fibre or by getting a DTH service, he added.

He said Jio, which unveiled a set top box earlier in the day, wants to grow in the market "very quickly". "We want the people to again feel excited. We couldn't do that with LTE phones because our price points were really low," the official said, referring to the mobile connectivity service which retails for as low as under Rs 150 per month.

The official said the company will target 1,600 towns from the first day of the launch and will initially try to reach out to the rest of the country through 30,000 local cable operators who are aligned to three multi-system operators acquired by it recently.

The company had launched the home broadband service at the last AGM, following which 5 lakh homes were connected as part of a pilot project and the experience with apartment blocks has not been very unpleasant as many housing societies are "receptive" he added.

"We have built the infrastructure and now launching the services commercially," he said, adding the job is to now go in and connect the homes as part of the last mile reach.

Over 15 million people have already registered, wishing to get the service, while the addressable market in the 1,600 towns is 35 million, including 20 million residences and 15 million business establishments.

"To begin with 35 million customers in 12 months is what we are looking at doing in the first year of operations. But it will depend on how much time the last mile takes to go and connect," he said.

The company will offer television sets of its own brand 'Reconnect' and has also partnered other manufacturers, the official said, adding group synergies make it possible for it to achieve the same without compromising on margins. PTI AA BEN

Union Budget 2019: 'Start-Up India' Scheme Extension, TV Channel, No Tax Scrutinisation

Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has just announced the union budget 2019 yesterday and announced some very interesting and new schemes for startups in the country including a Start-ups dedicated television (TV) , which would be indigenously designed by them to solve their issues and promote startups in the country.

The minister said in her speech, "We propose to start a television program within the bouquet of channels exclusively for startups. This shall be dedicated to promote startups, discuss the issues faced by them, bridge the gap between startups and venture capitalists and help in funding and tax planning. This channel shall be designed by startups themselves."

Set up under the purview of govt-owned Doordarshan, the upcoming TV channel will be designed and managed by startups themselves and will promote new businesses and enable matchmaking with venture capitalists helping them raise funds and the channel will also provide resources for tax planning.

With intentions of nurturing and supporting startup activity in India, Sitharaman also announced the extension of 2016-launched "Start Up India, Standup India" Scheme.

Extension of Start Up India Scheme

Highlighting the benefits of the scheme and a large demand by the SC/ST community for the continuance of the scheme, the Start-Up India scheme will now continue covering the entire period coinciding with the 15th Finance commission i.e 2020-2025.

"Stand up India has made human dignity and self-esteem to go up. Ministry of petroleum and gas has enabled SC/ST entrepreneurs by awarding bulk LPG transportation contracts. In a matter of 2 years, 300 entrepreneurs have emerged due to the Stand Up India scheme. Machines and robots have been deployed to do scavenging saving manual scavenger's dignity. The synthesis between Stand Up and Start Up India with commercial brands playing the catalyst has brought about a transformational change," said the finance minister.

The minister also highlighted the upshot in women and SC/ST entrepreneurs who were provided capital under the startup scheme to stand their own ventures.

Sharing the impact of Stand Up India in the Petroleum Industry, Sitharaman said that 300 entrepreneurs had emerged in 2 years, mainly due to the ministry's bulk LPG transportation contracts. She added that commercial brands have helped in being a catalyst to Stand Up and Start Up.

Angel Tax and Startup Investor Scrutiny

Startups and their investors who file their requisite declarations, provide information about their returns will not be subjected to any scrutiny with respect to valuation share premium. The issue of establishing the identity of investors will be resolved by putting in place an e-verification mechanism. With this, the funds raised by startups will not require any scrutiny from the IT department.

In addition, a special arrangement will be made by the Central Board of direct taxes, for pending assessments of startups and redressal of their grievances, ensuring that no verification will be done by the assessing officer without the approval of his supervisory officer. Startups are not required to justify the fair market value of their shares issued to certain investors including Category-1 Alternative Investment Funds (AIF), extending to Category 2 also.

The finance minister also proposed relaxation in carrying forward of losses, extending the period of exemption of capital gains arising on sale of houses to invest in startups up to March 31, 2021.

TRAI Launches Web App to Let You Select TV Channels and Compute Monthly Rental

From February 1, watching TV is going to get cheaper as the new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) rules will come into effect. This new Regulation for the Television and Broadcasting Sector will allow Consumers have the freedom to select Television (TV) Channels they want to watch.

Prior to the new rule coming into force, consumers need to know about the channels that are being offered, their individual prices, as well as channel bouquet pricing etc. To troubleshoot this confusion among TV consumers, TRAI has come up with a simple solution. The regulatory authority has launched a new web application which will help the subscribers to compute the monthly rental of their selected channels once the new rule comes into effect.

The new web application from the TRAI will simplify the channel selection process for DTH and cable users. The Channel Selector application will help the user optimize the selection of their choice and also inform them about the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) of their selection. The application navigates you through several simple steps and presents a list of channels based on the selections made by you. Once the selection of channels is done, the application will present you the monthly rental. The last date to move to the new DTH bouquet is January 31.

"With TRAI's New Regulation for the Television and Broadcasting Sector having come into force, Consumers have the freedom to select Television (TV) Channels they want to watch. This Application will help you optimize the selection of your choice and also inform you about the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) of your selection. However, for exercising the choice of your favourite channels, kindly visit the website of your TV service provider or get in touch with your cable operator," TRAI said on its website.

To use this application, visit this webpage of TRAI Website. Click on the 'Get Started' button at the bottom of the page, and simply reply to few questions to enter the channel selection page. Give TRAI your name, your state of residence, your TV viewing preferences, and then its presents a list of channels for you. Users can select the channels they want in their monthly plan here. TRAI will calculate your monthly rental based on your selection.

TRAI's web based Channel Selector application offers filters including price, HD/SD, genre, broadcaster, and language. You can modify your filter based on your requirements. The web application, on the View Selection page, also presents an Optimise button that will auto curate the channels and offer you the cheaper package.

Astrum Magic Stick turn your TV into an Android Smart TV

Owning a Smart TV has always been on the buying list for most of the people but the budget factor has acted as a hindrance in the fulfilment of this desire. Worry no more because with Astrum Magic Stick, you can easily convert your ordinary TV into a Smart TV that too within a very small budget.

Astrum Holdings recently launched this magic stick to change the way television is viewed in India. The device functions on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. By using the Magic Stick the user can easily download various apps from the play store directly into his or her TV.

The Android stick function converts the user’s television into full function Smart TV directly. Its video function helps play real HD video direct from USB drive or NAS devices. It even has built in Bluetooth to connect to Bluetooth devices. The Astrum Magic Stick is valued at Rs. 3,999 and comes with a one year warranty.

The Stick is Wi-Fi enabled for wireless connectivity and comes with HDMI and mini HDMI port to connect your smart TV. The wonder stick has a DDR3 1GB Memory and a Nand Flash of 8G.



According to Puneet Dhandharia, who is the Country Manager for Astrum’s operation in India, Astrum is proud and confident about launching the Astrum Magic Stick for the Indian market. He even assures that now people need not to spend thousands and lakhs in buying a Smart TV as this finger sized, cost effective portable android stick is capable of providing the same experience as a real Smart TV in a very small budget.

Its Quad core processor lets you work, play games and run applications faster and better on the big screen.  The stick also has a Micro SD card which lets the user store videos, photographs and songs.

The Astrum Magic Stick is a wonder product from Astrum Holdings Limited which boosts of being an energetic company with the combination of technology and humanity. The company is wholly focused in Mobile, IT, accessories and related products. The company has continuously worked in the direction of breaking down barriers between technology and people since its inception in 2008.

Astrum Magic Stick turn your TV into an Android Smart TV

Owning a Smart TV has always been on the buying list for most of the people but the budget factor has acted as a hindrance in the fulfilment of this desire. Worry no more because with Astrum Magic Stick, you can easily convert your ordinary TV into a Smart TV that too within a very small budget.

Astrum Holdings recently launched this magic stick to change the way television is viewed in India. The device functions on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. By using the Magic Stick the user can easily download various apps from the play store directly into his or her TV.

The Android stick function converts the user’s television into full function Smart TV directly. Its video function helps play real HD video direct from USB drive or NAS devices. It even has built in Bluetooth to connect to Bluetooth devices. The Astrum Magic Stick is valued at Rs. 3,999 and comes with a one year warranty.

The Stick is Wi-Fi enabled for wireless connectivity and comes with HDMI and mini HDMI port to connect your smart TV. The wonder stick has a DDR3 1GB Memory and a Nand Flash of 8G.



According to Puneet Dhandharia, who is the Country Manager for Astrum’s operation in India, Astrum is proud and confident about launching the Astrum Magic Stick for the Indian market. He even assures that now people need not to spend thousands and lakhs in buying a Smart TV as this finger sized, cost effective portable android stick is capable of providing the same experience as a real Smart TV in a very small budget.

Its Quad core processor lets you work, play games and run applications faster and better on the big screen.  The stick also has a Micro SD card which lets the user store videos, photographs and songs.

The Astrum Magic Stick is a wonder product from Astrum Holdings Limited which boosts of being an energetic company with the combination of technology and humanity. The company is wholly focused in Mobile, IT, accessories and related products. The company has continuously worked in the direction of breaking down barriers between technology and people since its inception in 2008.