Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
India’s highly promising Smart Digivision MyWay IPTV service was recently launched with comprehensive software, systems and services from Seachange International.
Deployments of the SeaChange TV navigator middleware and electronic program guide, SeaChange video-on-demand systems and a bouquet of set-top applications began in late 2008 under an aggressive strategy to bring MyWay to three million subscribers across India over the next few years on the BSNL and MTNL broadband networks.
3G tender in Jordan
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Jordan Telecommunication regulatory Commission TRC has rescheduled the country’s first 3G licenses award to the end of May after a request from the existing national MNOs (Zain, Orange, Xpress and Umniah) for a 2-months delay to prepare their bids.
The commission reaffirmed its expectations for 3G services roll-out in the country before the end of 2009 and urges bidders to submit before May 26th, and the winner of the initial 15-year 3G license will be unveiled on the following days. Ten months later, 3G spectrum will be allocated to the incumbents operators at a price based on the winning bid. The winner may be granted a 2G spectrum subsequently upon request. It is important to state finally that Jordan with its 5,5 million mobile subscribers is an important market but still a lagging one as 3G services have been launched in most of the gulf region countries since last year.
Scripps Networks wants to expand internationally
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
International expansion is a key strategy for Scripps Networks, which owns some of the most popular lifestyle networks on television with HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network or Fine Living Network. For this purpose, Scripps Networks named industry experienced Greg Moyer to be the president of its newly created Scripps Networks International.
SNI will focus on Asia and other emerging markets, where “millions of people rising out of poverty into middle class every year” John Lansing said (Scripps Networks President).
Moyer added “Viewers around the world today are experiencing a digital ‘echo boom’ with more channel choices, high-definition services, DVRs and other digital technologies”.
Scripps Networks’s brands collectively are available in more than 170 countries and territories on all seven continents.
La Sexta interested in a merger
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
The fall of advertising revenues and competition will result in an imminent merger, said the CEO of La Sexta, Jose Miguel Contreras. “We would like to find a partner and get married” he said.
Contreras explained that La Sexta held meetings with all groups except Vocento, but still claimed that “there is nothing formal”. The manager predicted that the channels no longer exist as we see them now. There are currently 6 private channels : Telecinco, Antena 3, Cuatro, La Sexta and Veo TV and Net TV, owned respectively by Unedisa and Vocento.
Contreras admitted that La Sexta is in moment of “difficulties” but not “delicate”. The channel does not come into profit in 2010, as promised to its shareholders, but a year later.
A legislative reform opened the door to mergers between channels. But with a limit, the merger can not exceed 27% of the audience. Actually, only the fusion of Telecinco and Antena 3 exceeded that limit…
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Last week at the sidelines of the third annual African e-governance Forum held in Kigali (Rwanda) for 3 days, World Bank Country Manager Victoria Kwakwa noticed that despite the huge success of mobile communications, broadband remains expensive and unavailable in many regions in Africa.
In Rwanda for instance, internet broadband costs $3,000 per Mbps, which makes it a luxury product in a country where more than half of the population lives with less than a $1 a day, hence the government initiative to invest more than $100 million to shrink the cost to $25 per Mbps by 2010. The project will enable the country telecommunications backbone to be linked to the coastal submarine cable expected by 2010.
According to an official information from the telcommunications regulator (RURA), internet penetration covers only 5% of the population and the country accounts 3 licensed ISPs; MTN Rwanda, Rwandatel and Artel.
Cox goes wireless
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
US based Cable operator Cox has recently announced its plans to enter the wireless market this year by first operating on Sprint’s network and thereafter launching its own 3G network in partnership with Chinese Huawei.
The wireless services which will be delivered on the 700 MHz block acquired in March, will enable Cox to gain a competitive advantage as a quadruple play operator (Cable, Internet, Voice, Wireless) over other competitors in the communications industry as a whole knowing that operators like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon were expected to take such a move two or three years earlier. According to Cox VP of wireless, these new services will be integrated in the existing services so as to deliver for instance mobile access to DVRs, landline, voice mail, and e-mail.
First DISCOP Africa held in Dakar
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Over 400 participants attended DISCOP Africa, the first African Media market held for 3 days in Dakar Senegal.
DISCOP is dedicated to developing the television content business and identifying new business opportunities in emerging markets for content distributors.
The event exceeded estimates in terms of attendance. Participants represented more than 330 companies including Pay-TV platforms, TV stations and TV advertisers from over 35 African countries. After this successful launch in Dakar, DISCOP Africa is already planning a future event that will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 16 to 18 September 2009.
Bulgarian advertising market to decrease in 2009
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Krassimir Gergov, CEO of the Bulgarian advertisement agency KRES, reported that Bulgarian advertisement market will decrease by 20-30% in 2009.
The prices of TV advertising have decreased by 25-28%, while in the print media prices have increased by 10% since January.
India’s highly promising Smart Digivision MyWay IPTV service was recently launched with comprehensive software, systems and services from Seachange International.
