India’s direct to home (DTH) market witnesses one more player. This time its telecom giant Bharti Airtel. The company has announced the launch of Airtel digital TV, its DTH satellite TV service.
After, Tata Sky, Dish TV and Big TV, Bharti’s new initiative is sure to add more competition to the cable TV market which is currently dominated by local cable distributors.
Airtel digital TV will be available to customers through 21,000 retail points including Airtel relationship centres in 62 cities across the country starting October 9.
On the occasion, Manoj Kohli, CEO and MD, Bharti Airtel, said, “This new chapter adds a new dimension to our existing product portfolio and is a major step towards transforming Airtel from just a telecom brand to a lifestyle enabler. The launch of Airtel digital TV is the culmination of our three screens strategy, which is to be present across mobile phone, computer and TV screens.”
According to Kohli, the company’s DTH service will have universal remote for both set top box (STB) that receives signals from the antenna, and the television set, besides other features such as high STB memory, exclusive interactive applications, onscreen games and more efficient battery.
Atul Bindal, president – Telemedia Services, Bharti Airtel, added, “We believe that the Indian DTH segment offers immense growth potential going forward. With added benefits of Airtel’s strong brand equity and wide distribution network, we are well placed to emerge as a leading player in this segment.”
The company is launching the service in the Southern region of India at Rs 1,999, while for rest of the country, the service will be available at an entry price of Rs 2,499.
