Broadcasters must exit Asiasat services by March 31, 2026: MIB advisory

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an official advisory to private satellite television channel broadcasters and teleport operators regarding the discontinuation of communication services through Asiasat satellites AS-5 and AS-7 after March 31, 2026.

The advisory, dated August 4, 2025, refers to a communication from IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center), dated July 21, 2025 which states that IN-SPACe has authorized M/s Inorbit Space Telecommunications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, to provision capacity on AS-5 and AS-7 satellites. This authorization is valid only until March 31, 2026.

According to IN-SPACe, from April 1, 2026, the capacity of these satellites “cannot be provisioned/sold for providing communication services in India.”

The Ministry has issued this notice to inform all entities permitted under the current “Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Satellite Television Channels in India” that are availing services of these satellites. Entities seeking further clarification on the authorization status of AS-5 and AS-7 satellites have been advised to contact IN-SPACe, the nodal agency for satellite authorization matters.

The advisory may indirectly promote a shift to Indian-authorized or domestic satellite systems, aligning with India’s long-term space policy goals under IN-SPACe and ISRO.

The advisory marks a significant regulatory checkpoint for India’s satellite broadcasting ecosystem. It enforces a hard stop on the use of Asiasat-5 and Asiasat-7 beyond March 2026, compelling the industry to proactively shift to alternate, authorized platforms to maintain service continuity.