The Essel Group owned Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd will launch India’s first Headend in the Sky (HITS), a satellite-based delivery platform in a few weeks
MUMBAI: The Essel Group owned Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd will launch India’s first Headend in the Sky (HITS), a satellite-based delivery platform in a few weeks, for millions of its customers and local cable operators across India.
HITS not only delivers multi-channel television signals to customers across the country, but provides access to Internet and other voice-over Internet protocol-based services in addition to getting a slew of digital video and audio programming.
“We are ready with a call centre and network on the back-end, set-top boxes and the marketing campaign. Most of the broadcasters are on board, and rollouts will start with the conditional access system (CAS)-notified areas. The emphasis is on the cable business of the Hindi speaking heartland,” said Deepak Chandnani, CEO of Wire and Wireless.
Cable operators would not need any additional investments on infrastructure such as a local digital head-end, a separate subscriber management system and conditional access arrangement.
Industry experts say HITS may steal a march over direct-to-home (DTH) mode of media distribution since HITS rides on cable.
“DTH users often complain of a drop in signal transmission during rains or storm. With HITS this problem is solved,” said an expert.
On the policy front, the government is considering allowing more foreign investment in new media distribution platforms such as HITS.
DNA Money had reported in April the intent of the Information & Broadcasting ministry to raise composite foreign investment limit in media segments such as direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting, teleports (companies that provide broadcast uplinking platforms) and HITS to 74% from existing 49%.
t_amit@dnaindia.net
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