GS Group to implement satellite broadcasting project in Myanmar

GS Group has announced its plans for the implementation of the satellite broadcasting project in Myanmar in order to tap the pay-TV market. GS will establish technological and investment partnerships with companies of Myanmar.

GS had earlier submitted co-operation prospects for implementing the first mass satellite pay-TV platform, expansion of the TV viewing audience and creation of new jobs in Myanmar. The company had received approval on August 29 at an inter-government meeting.

“The GS Group competencies include implementing foreign broadcasting projects and their successful support based on positive experiences. We are ready to launch the broadcasting project in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar within a short time, which will be the first publicly available satellite TV in the country,” said Denis Budilov, Deputy Director of Foreign Broadcasting Projects of GS Group.

Digital TV broadcasting to begin in Myanmar this week

Digital TV broadcasting will begin in Myanmar this week in at least three cities in the country. The Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) has also announced that in addition for upgrading its broadcast system to allow digital TV broadcasting, it was also building 77 digital TV broadcasting stations by 2015.

The three cities that will have digital TV broadcasts are – Rangoon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay. MRTV director general Tint Swe said, “We’re expecting such a digital system to provide coverage in the whole nation by 2020. Though we’re going to change the system from analogue to digital, the analogue users can continue to view as usual the next three years. Until 2016, it’s optional for them.”

The country is also planning on building 253 digital broadcasting stations by 2017. It’s also planning on using Asean-standard Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial-2 (DVBT-2) for the broadcasts. The country currently has only five public channels to its name. In order to gain revenues to support the upgrade, MRTV channels will be selling commercial advertisement time, said Swe.