Kazakhstan launches digital broadcasting satellite network.

ASTANA, January 18 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev attended a ceremony to launch a national satellite network of digital television and radio broadcasting here on Tuesday.

"About 150,000 people could not watch Kazakh television channels up to
now," chairman of the Kazakh television and radio broadcasting company
board Abay Kadraliyev said. "With the launch of the satellite digital
television all Kazakh citizens will be able to watch national television
channels," Minister of Communication and Information Askar Zhumagaliyev
said at the launching ceremony. Meanwhile, the minister noted that "the
network is built on the basis of the most advanced digital broadcasting
standard DVB-S2, which is applied in all countries now."
For the first time all Kazakh residents received an opportunity for
the free receiving of up to 37 republican and regional television and
radio programs via the satellite channel after the launch of a new digital
broadcasting system, the Ministry of Communication and Information
reported. Already 18 republican, 14 regional television channels and three
radio stations are already broadcast in the trial mode in a free satellite
package. The subscribers can watch 50 foreign television channels on the
paid basis.
The ministry also concluded the memorandums with regional authorities
in cooperation for the development of the digital satellite television and
radio broadcasting, including socially vulnerable strata of people, with
the equipment for the digital broadcasting services that cost up to 22,000
tenge (150 U.S. dollars).
-0-baz/kud