Astra 2D is one of a group of satellites operated by SES Astra, located at 28.2° East in the Clarke Belt. Boeing Satellite Systems is a major business unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. ... Ariane 5 lifts off from Kourou Ariane 5 is an expendable launch system designed to deliver satellites into geostationary transfer orbit and to send payloads to low earth orbit. ... The Ku band (kay-yoo kurz-under band) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies ranging from 11 to 18 GHz. ... Bandwidth is a measure of frequency range. ... This is the list of broadcast satellites — communications satellites used primarily for radio and television networks and backhauls, and for DBS. Listings are from west to east (increasing longitude) by orbital position, starting and ending with the International Date Line. ... SES Astra SA, a subsidiary of SES Global, is a Luxembourg-based corporation which owns and operates the Astra series of geostationary satellites, which transmit approximately 1100 analogue and digital television and radio channels via 176 transponders to 91 million households across Europe. ... A geosynchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit that has the same orbital period as the sidereal rotation period of the Earth. ...

Most of the transponders are used to provide television channels available on the Sky Digital satellite service to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Although the satellite's beam is tightly focused on the British Isles, surrounding countries have the ability to pick the signal up (dependent on suitably sized satellite dishes). However some channels on 2D are encrypted with Videoguard (an encryption method closely guarded by the NDS Group) and only Sky Digiboxes with valid cards can decode these channels. In telecommunication, the term transponder (sometimes abbreviated to XPDR or TPDR) has the following meanings: An automatic device that receives, amplifies, and retransmits a signal on a different frequency. ... Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcastings digital satellite television service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ... VideoGuard is a conditional access television system produced by NDS. It is used almost exclusively on digital satellite television systems operated by News Corporation, who own a majority of NDS. Its most widely used implementation is BSkyBs Sky Digital, which adopted the system in 1998 to replace the cracked... NDS Group plc (NDS), founded as as News Datacom in 1989, is a DRM and conditional access firm. ... The Digibox is a device marketed by Sky Television in the UK to enable home users to receive digital satellite television broadcasts (satellite receiver). ...

Since July 14, 2003 the BBC has been broadcasting all eight of its domestic television channels (including the 15 regional variations of BBC One) unencrypted from the Astra 2D satellite. July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom (see British television). ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest television station in the world. ...

Since 1 November 2005 ITV has been broadcasting all its television channels (including regional variations of ITV 1, as well as the non-ITV plc-owned ITV stations) unencrypted from the Astra 2D satellite. Current ITV logo. ... ITV1 is the primary television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... ITV plc is a British media company which operates the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. ...

Although primarily a television broadcast satellite, other services such as satellite internet can be carried.

External links

• Satco Frequency List
• Lyngsat Frequency List
• Ses-Astra - 2D
• The Astra 2D Website