DStv Mobile: Packaged deals here soon
MultiChoice South Africa launched their Mobile TV broadcasting service, DStv Mobile, last week. DStv Mobile can be accessed on a DVB-H enabled cellphone or via MultiChoice’s newly introduced Mobile TV decoder, the Drifta.
The DVB-H enabled cellphones currently available in the South African market are the Nokia 5330, Nokia N96 and ZTE F900.
DVB-H network coverage is available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, CapeTown, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Mbombela, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Durban.
The DStv Mobile bouquet is currently available free of charge, and will cost subscribers R36 per month from 1 April 2011.
e.tv also launched their free-to-air e.Mobile service last week which includes the eNews Channel and Channel O.
Since e.tv uses the same DVB-H network as DStv Mobile, the same network coveragae applies to the e.Mobile service.
Technical specifications
DStv Mobile General Manager Mark Rayner explains that MultiChoice and e.tv received 8 MHz of UHF spectrum from ICASA which enables them to provide 15 DVB-H channels.
Since MultiChoice received 60% and e.tv 40% of the spectrum, DStv Mobile will offer 9 channels while e.tv has the potential of offering 6 channels.
Both DStv Mobile and e.Mobile use Orbicom, the signal distributors of MultiChoice, for their DVB-H needs. Orbicom constructed 61 DVB-H sites to date, with plans to extend this to 71 in future.
These 71 sites are however only high-powered DVB-H sites, and Orbicom is also using micro-sites in areas where it needs better coverage, like ‘dead-spots’ in high-population areas.
Rayner said that this network provides them with around 50% population coverage, and that any future network growth will depend on the take-up of the service.
Handsets and take-up of service
Rayner said that they are well aware that the limited number of DVB-H enabled handsets is a factor which will limit the take-up of their DStv Mobile service, but that they are working with handset providers to boost the presence of mobile TV cellphones in the country.
Rayner said that their Drifta mobile TV decoder aims to address the shortage of DVB-H devices in the market, but apart from this initiative consumers can soon expect to see cellular deals from various providers which will include DStv Mobile subscriptions.
Rayner said that they are working with various cellular companies, including Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Nashua Mobile, to launch DVB-H enabled cellphone packages with DStv Mobile subscriptions thrown in.
The take-up of the service is expected to be low initially, but Rayner explains that they have a very long term view with this service and that they will not be concerned if they don’t reach 100,000 subscribers in the first year.
DStv Mobile: Packaged deals here soon << Comments and views
Loading ...