MUMBAI: Zee network has joined hands with the television service provider Belgacom to broadcast its third television channel, regional language channel Alpha Etc Punjabi, on Eutelsat's Hot Bird satellites.

Zee, the UK-based distributor of South Asian TV channels, along with Belgacom, will launch it's newest TV channel using the latter's direct-to-home (DTH) platform on Eutelsat's satellites.

Zee had previously used Belgacom's DTH services for it's two TV channels, Zee TV and Zee Cinema, informs a Eutelsat release.

"The fact that we can have access to the Belgacom housing facilities in Liedekerke (near Brussels) allows us to manage our own conditional access system. We were allowed to install and manage our own equipment. That makes Belgacom unique," said a spokesperson from Zee network, UK.

Belgacom's DTH-platform offers TV services via satellite in the Ku frequency. It uses Eutelsat's Hot Bird satellites at 13° East.

Belgacom offers a fully digital solution (Digital Video Broadcast - Satellite standard) with MPEG compression and is available in fixed or variable bandwidth as well as encrypted (pay TV), adds the release.