The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is expecting direct and indirect investment of $400 million through bidding of Direct to Home (DTH) licenses as well as more than 16,000 direct and in-direct job opportunities.
PEMRA is going to hold open bidding process to award 3 DTH licenses on November 23, for which 12 out of 16 companies have been short-listed.
During a background discussion, PEMRA officials said that the DTH auction will create 1,500 direct job opportunities and over 15,000 indirect employment opportunities countrywide.
Initially, the authority will issue license for a period of 15 years, which will be extended as per agreement. The official while talking about the DTH licensing and its impacts on the existing cable TV industry said that it will have overall positive impacts as even in the most developed nations of the world, DTH has captured up to 25 per cent market, while rest is being served by digital cable suppliers.
The base price for the bid offering is Rs 200 million, and DTH contracts will be given to the highest bidders. He added that the successful bidders will directly invest $150 million and indirect investment will be at least $250 million.
There are some three million consumers using Indian DTH and the government aims to eliminate it through local facilities and as a result around Rs 24 billion capital flight to India will be plugged. He further said that a Chinese firm has shown interest in setting up a manufacturing unit in Pakistan to locally produce set-top box for DTH and digital cable TV.
The Pakistani cable market is still mainly analogue, and most operators have not adequately invested in upgrading their networks, limiting their systems for minimum cost. The launch of DTH will be a game changer, a CPEC for Pakistan electronic media industry.
At present with the ongoing deployment of DTV in all signatory countries of the ITU-GE06 treaty, no valid argumentation can be developed to stop the digital transition, whether terrestrial or not. The cable operators will have no choice but to invest rapidly in their aging infrastructure.
Worldwide data proves that DTH is in fact not meant to launch a war with cable, but to cover large landmasses, where it is impossible to provide cable transmission, the official maintained.
Auction k kitnay arsa bad ye apni service shoru karain ge ??
After Licence, During 1 year period…
i think chairman of pemra will cancel the auction again,due to pressure of cable mafia
umeed hai es dafa aisa nahi hi ga
Shub shub bolo yar, Allah na kare k aisa ho.
I think it will take 4 to 6 months.
good! now don’t halt it or defer it on blackmailing of Cable mafia or Political mafia.
This auction will also push exciting cable operator to upgrade their ageing infrastructure because of competition.
If this auction goes through and DTH services are launched at competitive rates then we just might banish the monopoly of the propaganda machine of PTV News in remote and rural areas.
PEMRA should not hault this DTH auction.
These Balckmailers cable operators should not be entertained this time
Go ahead and not 3 it should be more than that.
Cable Mafia ko Golla Maar Den Fazolll Services and charges Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month
Right
agar iss dafa auction delay hua tau —– hai Pemra par
شکریہ راحیل شریف
Wazahar kren in ka kirdar?
yeh jo bhi karwa raha hai america karwa raha hai
Shukar hai cable k local channels se to jaan chott jaye gi jo faiza beauty cream golden pearl face fresh jese ads hi chalate rehte hain
we welcome Pakistan DTH
Smart Sky already launched web site where you can see messages like they are saying that they are going to launch soon