Samsung Electronics has unveiled plans to launch TVs that have built-in satellite decoders, with the aim of giving viewers access to around 60 channels for free.
This product line will be available in early Q3 2012, in 6 African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, DRC and Cameroon.
Samsung said it hopes to bring more channels to more African regions in 2013, with a new satellite launch plan from SES, a major satellite operator in a number of African regions.
For now, its agreement with SES will allow Samsung to provide around 30 English channels, and more than 30 French channels, to the six launch nations.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa there are 230 million households of which 80 million have TVs, and less than 10% have access to digital TV,” Samsung said. “In an aim to increase access to quality programming and to drive digitalisation, we have identified the role that satellite plays in this regard and have concluded agreements with SES,” Samsung said.
Danny Kim, director of TV and AV at Samsung Electronics, explained that viewers will have to aim their dish antennas at the Astra 2A or Astra 4B satellites.
Kim said that, through their agreement with SES, they will offer free satellite TV through Astra 2A to French-speaking countries, while Astra 4B will be used for English-speaking countries.
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