Measat is Malaysia’s state-backed satellite operator, created in the mid-1990s to support national broadcasting and telecom. It is small compared to the global GEO incumbents but entrenched in its home region. The company runs a handful of satellites out of the 91.5°E orbital slot, which has become the anchor point for Malaysian TV distribution and broadband.

The current fleet includes Measat-3b, launched in 2014 on an Ariane 5, and Measat-3d, launched in 2022, also on Ariane. The earlier satellites, Measat-3, 3a, and 3c, have suffered failures or reached end of life. Measat-3d was built by Airbus and carries Ku-band for DTH television, C-band for regional connectivity, and Ka-band for broadband services. It is also carrying an SBAS payload to support navigation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Commercially, Measat makes most of its money from pay-TV. Its primary customer is Astro, Malaysia’s dominant broadcaster, which relies heavily on the orbital slot. That dependency is both a strength and a weakness. It gives Measat a stable anchor tenant, but also ties its revenue to the fate of a single pay-TV operator at a time when streaming continues to erode satellite broadcasting.

The broadband side is built around ConnectMe, a Ka-band service targeting rural Malaysia. The government has leaned on Measat to provide internet to underserved areas where terrestrial fiber is not viable. This gives the operator relevance in public policy, but the economics are thin. It is a utility function, not a growth business.

Measat is not trying to compete with LEO or expand aggressively into foreign markets. Its role is to maintain Malaysia’s orbital slot, keep Astro on air, and extend broadband into rural areas when asked. It has one modern satellite, limited international profile, and a customer base that is mostly domestic. The company is sovereign infrastructure more than a commercial player, and its future depends on whether television distribution holds up long enough for rural broadband demand to justify continued investment.