APS : Wednesday, 02 January 2019
ALGIERS- Algeria made in 2018 major progress in mastering space telecommunications with the successful broadcasting of public television and radio channels from the new Algerian satellite Alcomsat-1,
and with the launch of distance learning and telemedicine programmes via this satellite.
The national space programme, launched in 2006 to end in 2020, made this year an additional step, notably in the field of telecommunication with the broadcasting of these TV and radio channels and the launch of famous e-education and e-health projects via Alcomsat-1, launched on 10 December 2017.
Only a few months after its launch, Alcomsat-1 carried out successfully some of its missions like the broadcasting of five public television channels (National programme, Canal Algerie, TVA3, TV4 and TV5) and 57 radio channels, previously broadcasted by foreign satellites.
This operation is considered as a first for Algeria, which marks its entry to the broadcasting via satellite of television and radio channels.
The TV Broadcasting Algeria (TDA) broadcasted, on 1 November 2018, officially two multichannel packages, one of them includes five HD quality TV channels ( at least 720p) and the other of these same TV channels (standard definition, 480p) and 57 radio services (regional, national and thematic channels) as well as the news wire of APS (Algeria Press Service).
This performance comes some days after the call launched by Minister of Communication Djamel Kaouane, inviting the audiovisual sector to meet the needs of listeners and viewers by winning the stakes imposed by the technological progress.
The satellite Alcomsat-1 succeeded a part of its missions with the official broadcasting of these five HD television channels, a process which started with the signing on 21 May 2018 of a framework agreement between TDA and the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) on the optimal exploitation of this satellite’s capacities, notably in the broadcasting part.
One year after the launch of Alcomsat-1, Algeria plans to make a second telecommunication satellite, Alcomsat-2 which will be built by Algerian specialists, contrary to the first one performed by Chinese engineers.
