New Delhi, June 1: Balloon can be used instead of a satellite to provide television coverage throughout India, according to a study by the Information, Planning and Analysis Group (IPAG) of the Electronics Commission.The study says that 18 balloon-borne transmitters can do the job at one-fifth the investment cost for the conventional system involving a network of ground-based transmitters. The annual running cost is estimated to be half that of the terrestrial system.Hung by means of special plastic tethers, the balloons will hover at about 3,300 metres from ground, each balloon beaming television programmes to a radious of upto 240 km.Tethered Balloon Communication System (TBCS) has been suggested as a viable alternative to the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), which will end in July with the withdrawal of the American satellite ATS-6.The IPAG study says that SITE continuation with TBCS would require four balloons and cost Rs. 26 crores. The annual running cost would be Rs 6.5. crores.The IPAG panel has been set up to study the development of tethered balloon technology in India and its possible civilian and military applications. Substantial infrastructure for balloon technology is said to be already available in India.Tethered balloons are being developed at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Bombay.TIFR-designed and fabricated balloons have been flown upto 300 metres with 10-kg, payload and to 3,000 metres with 50kg, payload, according to IPAG. Published - June 02, 2026 03:20 am IST