Sky D CEO sees bright future for TV

The CEO of German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland, Carsten Schmidt, considers television as we know it not to have reached its end.

People now carry their own screens with them which makes broadcasters offer an increasing number of products for mobile usage, Schmidt told German magazine Bunte. “But I also believe that the TV set in the living room will stay the centre of entertainment. People want to jointly experience and watch something.”

The public TV broadcasters will also continue to exist, but they must not stick in their tradition, said Schmidt. “TV licence fee payers want to know more than ever what happens with their funds being spent by the broadcasters.”

For Sky’s original productions, Schmidt demands quality and exclusivity. “Be courageous, Sky is not mainstream! We will take the freedom to deliver the quality and exclusivity our customers expect from us,” he stressed.

From October 21, 2016, Sky Deutschland will screen 10-part drama series The Young Popewith Jude Law, a co-production by Sky, Canal+ and HBO.

Pakistan's InCable selects Exset DMS middleware

Pakistan cable operator InCable creates new revenue and viewer value with Exset’s DMS

THE NETHERLANDS — InCable has become the latest operator to select Exset in order to create and deploy value add and dynamic advertising services across its digital cable network. One of the largest Pakistani cable operators, it’s based in Lahore and is currently rapidly expanding its digital network.

InCable deploying Exset’s complete ecosystem with the latest bundled services. This is a turnkey integrated solution recently launched by the company at the heart of which sits its flagship DMS 5.0 middleware.

Mahmood Ulhaq, Exset’s Director of Business Development Asia, said, “We have worked with InCable to understand the market pressures it faces. We’re now supplying the powerful DMS 5.0 as well as surrounding technology. This includes high cost-effective, DMS-integrated Newland set-tops and EPG services together with dynamic ad insertion. InCable benefits by receiving set-tops with DMS integrated; the ability to create and launch services via the EPG; security options; and the DMS publishing engine. Then there’s also the enhanced EPG UI and its smart advertising capabilities.”

Irfan Goraya, Managing Director of I. N Cable pvt Ltd, said, “We very carefully looked at the market and we chose not to go with the cheapest option because we know that route has failed people in the past. We wanted a comprehensive solution that can help power our digital network rollout from both a technical and business perspective. Exset is providing that, not least with its consultancy services.”

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) current analogue switch-off date for the country is the end of September 2016. There have been challenges as the country moves from analogue to digital infrastructure with that date not the first that was announced.

Ulhaq said, “We are providing operators with the ability to create services in a digital world over and above video, adding massive additional value to their proposition, helping them drive the digital transition. This helps them in their arguments to convince subscribers to move to digital by creating a whole range of services at a price point that is attractive to the population. In turn, this increases their revenue and will reduce churn.”

EXSET is from Russia ACTUALLY, NOT Netherlands.

Liberty to buy Multimedia Polska

Liberty Global has agreed to buy the cable interests of Multimedia Polska, Poland’s third largest cable operator, in an all-cash transaction.

The deal, which values the company at PLN3 billion (approximately $760 million), may see the final purchase lowered, depending on the operational and financial performance of Multimedia prior to closing. Financed through a combination of incremental debt borrowings and cash on hand, it will be subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close within the next 12 months.

Multimedia’s non-cable interests, which include insurance, gas and energy operations, will be retained by its current shareholders.

Liberty already owns UPC Polska, Poland’s largest cable company. Taken together, it and Multimedia’s operations pass over 4 million homes and business.

Commenting on the deal, Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said: “This acquisition will significantly increase our scale in Poland, where we are already the largest cable operator. It will also enhance our ability to invest in cutting-edge products and services for Polish consumers and businesses that will help drive organic growth across our enlarged footprint of over four million premises. Upon closing of the transaction, we will begin upgrading the Multimedia network, after which Multimedia’s customers will be able to enjoy superfast broadband speeds and our next- generation video service Horizon TV.”

Broadband TV News notes that the possible acquisition of Multimedia by Liberty has been rumoured in Poland for a number of months. Speaking to Broadband TV News at Cable Congress in Warsaw in June, Jerzy Straszewski, the president of the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communications (PIKE), said that would be unlikely to have a major impact on the country’s cable industry.

However, we note that once completed it will leave Liberty in a much stronger position in the Polish cable market, with the only other operators of significant size being Vectra, currently the number two player, Toya and Inea.

Significantly, it should also be borne in mind that the last time Liberty undertook a major cable acquisition in Poland – Aster in 2012 – it took around a year to close, with the competition authorities imposing stiff conditions, including the onward sale of some of the assets to a third, independent party.

Ghana: 500USD per DTT device model

By Nana Appiah Acquaye, Accra, Ghana

Manufacturers and Importers of free to air digital terrestrial television (DTT) receivers such as set top boxes (STBs) and integrated digital TV sets (iDTVs) are expected to pay a fee of GHS1, 925.00 or its Dollar equivalent of US$500.00 (for requests emanating from outside Ghana) per model to the National Communications Authority (NCA).

It’s only after receipt of payment that the National Communications Authority will then certified the authenticity of a receiver and grant an official conformance logo confirming to consumers that the receiver is Ghana DTT compliant and safe for public consumption.

This development has become necessary following Ghana’s quest to carry out a transition of television broadcasting services in the frequency bands 174–230 MHz and 470–862 MHz from analogue to digital technology.

Operating under the Regulation of broadcasting spectrum and technical standards Section 2 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008, Act 775, the National Communications Authority is mandate to regulate the radio spectrum designated or allocated for use by broadcasting organizations and providers of broadcasting services in accordance with the standards and requirements of the International Telecommunications Union and its Radio Regulations as agreed to or adopted by the Republic.

In furtherance of carrying out this function, the law mandates the Authority to determine technical and other standards and issue guidelines for the operation of broadcasting organizations and bodies providing broadcasting services hence the formulation of a conformance regime which will certifies all DTT receivers manufactured or assembled in Ghana or imported for use in Ghana.

Outlining the processes manufacturers and importers of DTT receivers will have to go through to secure a conformance logo, the regulator revealed that after acknowledging the receipt of the application within five working days upon receipt of the application, it shall then notify the applicant of any outstanding issues with the application within this period.

It noted that if the application is complete and satisfactory, the Authority shall grant the logo award within a period of not more than fourteen days, but  If the application is incomplete, or there are issues to be rectified, the applicant shall rectify them at his/her earliest convenience and notify the Authority of same.  “The Authority shall within a period not exceeding fourteen (14) days, grant the logo award after it receives notice that all issues have been rectified by the applicant,” it added.

Manufacturers are however advised to obtain approval from the National Communications Authority before producing any product packaging/ publicity materials featuring the Digital Ghana thumb logo. 

Fixed Internet Becomes Less Popular in Russia

The Russian Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications (Minsvyaz) made a report, comparing the fi rst, the second quarter of 2016 and the previous year. According to this document, the number of active broadband customers in Russia was reduced by 1.4% to slightly more than 26.9 million in the second quarter of 2016. The year-to-year growth of the customer base amounted to 6.4%.

Previously, the number of broadband subscribers fell only in the second quarter of 2014 – providers lost a little less than 68,000 subscribers, or a little less than 0.3%. A certain operator’s employee claims that 2016 brought the fi rst signifi cant downfall trend for the customer base. Minsvyaz has established that while the number of FIXED broadband users falls, the number of mobile internet subscribers grows. In the second quarter of 2016, the increase was 3.7% and there were 98.9 million mobile internet clients. The year-to-year growth reached 3.9%.  

Russia: Tricolor TV Launches Satellite Internet

After one failed attempt to start providing satellite internet services, the National Satellite Company (Tricolor TV brand) decided to enter the market again. Together with the European satellite internet provider Eutelsat Networks, Tricolor TV performed a commercial service launch of two-way satellite internet access. Tricolor TV spokesperson explains that this time the company could successfully overcome the initial diffi culties using modern technologies.

Tricolor TV and Eutelsat Networks launched two-way satellite internet into commercial service with the speeds up to 40 Mbps for forward communication channel and 12 Mbps for the reverse channel. The internet operates in the coverage area of Express-AMU1 satellite (Eutelsat 36C).