Beximco Group, a leading Bangladeshi industrial conglomerate, today
announced a joint venture with Russian investment and industry holding
giant GS Group to launch Bangladesh’s first DTH (Direct to Home) company
for TV viewers in the country.
The newly formed joint venture – Beximco Communications Limited – will
come with integrating technological support from GS Group.
The DTH technology enables a broadcasting company to directly beam the
signal to TV set through a receiver that is installed in the house of a
subscriber obviating the need for a separate cable connection.
The commercial launch of the DTH platform is scheduled by the end of
2014 and it aims to net 300,000 subscribers during 2015. The company
plans to rope in additional 400,000 subscribers annually.
The joint venture will concentrate its activity on the mass segment by
offering its customers TV packages with local as well as leading
international channels.
“Presently, Bangladesh does not have any legal DTH operator. The
viewer’s only choice is between a few cable operators and a terrestrial
television channel,” said Salman F Rahman, Vice Chairman of Beximco
Group.
He said signals of Indian DTH operators are broadcast illegally without
providing Bangladeshi audiences any local TV programs. “Nevertheless,
the demand for a local DTH service is high and Beximco Communications
Limited hopes to attract a significant number of subscribers in the
country having a population of over 160 million,” Rahman added.
Sergei Dolgopolsky, Foreign Projects Director within GS Group, said the
‘head-end’ and the ‘up-link’ are to be installed in 2014, paving way for
the first DTH broadcasting services in Bangladesh.”
“Our network will cover the entire territory of Bangladesh,” Dolgopolsky added.
DTH services refer to the distribution of multi-channel TV programs by
using a satellite system by providing TV signals direct to subscribers'
premises. For DTH connection the broadcasting company provides a set
that comprises the dish and a receiving set. The company beams an
encrypted signal that only the set installed in a subscriber’s household
can receive and enable viewing.
DTH has many advantages like one can do away with the cable operator who
provides channels of choice and there is no assurance of quality. The
quality of signals in this case is expected to be superior since the
signal is not split through a cable. By choosing just the signals that
one needs, there is a possibility of reducing subscribers’ monthly cable
bill.
Additional information
GS Group is an investment and industry holding, operating on the basis
of its very own high technologies in telecommunications and innovation.
Key activities: implementation of international broadcasting projects,
R&D and production in such fields as nanotechnology,
microelectronics; construction and development of Technopolis GS
innovation center; deep wood processing; investment in venture projects;
media content production and management, software products design and
integration, full-service advertisement, logistics and trade.
