Subisu Cablenet launches digital TV in Nepal

KATHMANDU — Cable television provider, Subisu Cablenet, has announced Nepal’s first digital TV service. The service, called CLEAR TV, will be available from 1st Nov, 2014.

CLEAR TV provides both standard and high definition channels, using MPEG-4 compression. Users require a set top box (STB) with embedded conditional access in order to receive the encrypted service.

CLEAR TV will initially be available in the Kathmandu valley, with further cities added at a later date. The set-top box is priced at Rs 4,500 ($45), excluding VAT. The service itself will cost Rs 500 (~$5) per month.

Nepal to get IPTV services

Two separate companies – Orient Digital Media and Subisu Cable Net – are currently on a race to become the first companies to introduce IPTV services in Nepal. This would be the first time such a service was operated out of the country.

Subisu CEO Sudhir Parajuli noted that the company hopes to launch the services as early as March of this year. He further added, “We are hopeful to get the government permission within a week and currently the company is currently working on the packages to be offered.” Subisu is one of the top internet providers in Nepal. Orient on the other hand had acquired the permission from the government nearly eight months ago but it has not started it services yet.

In case of Subisu, it is planning on launching a 15 channel IPTV service as of right now. The licence that was already given to Orient was under the condition that the company should start its services within 18 months of having acquired the licence. State-owned Nepal Telecom (NT) is also in the process of launching its own IPTV service but the plans are at a nascent stage.