ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: The Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Monday signed an agreement to use PakSat-1 9MHz space segment for AJK TV, says a press release.

Under the agreement, signed by Suparco Chairman Maj-Gen Raza Hussain and PTV Managing Director M. Arshad Khan, the Pakistan Television would save Rs26.3 million ($0.445 million) annually.

The PTV managing director said the decision to use PakSat-1 was taken after realising the low cost involved in utilizing advanced Pakistani technology. The space segment of 9MHz on PakSat-1 would be used to uplink TV signal from AJK TV studios to its rebroadcast stations.

Previously, the AJK TV rebroadcast stations had been linked through ThaiSat-3. The annual rent paid for the facility was Rs33.6 million ($0.57 million), he said. "Now the PTV will pay Rs7.375 million (US$0.125 million) each year saving a huge amount of Rs26.3 million ($0.445 million)," he added.

In the near future, the PTV would sign another 9MHz space segment agreement with Suparco for networking PTV Lahore and Quetta centres to save Rs52.6 million ($0.89 million).