The BIGGEST is all set to get even BIGGER with BIG TV DTH, the Home Entertainment  Service offering from Reliance Communications is gearing up to double the bouquet of over 200 channels to 400 channels in the coming months. The fully-Digital Direct-To-Home Service launched by the Anil Ambani Group just a month back, is already preparing to create a significant competitive differentiator to enhance its bouquet to 400 channels when its existing competitors maximum capability is dwindling around the 160 – 180 odd channel mark. 

Giving credence to this is the fact that Anil Ambani, Chairman of the group in the AGM held on 30th September 2008 had categorically announced that BIG TV would be soon hosting 400 channels.

According to highly placed sources, the company has ordered for additional capacity on MEASAT satellite constellation which the company would be receiving shortly. By increasing the satellite transponder capacity from the current 8 to 12, a 50% addition, the company would be able to double the number of channels due to its superior and worlds most advanced MPEG4 technology platform.

The growth of DTH sector which was estimated at around 4 lakh new subscriber additions every month is tipped to have accelerated by over 75%, taking the new subscriber additions to the 7 lakh mark last month. The marketing and advertising spends of the DTH sector are also believed to have increased by close to 70% with companies like Tata Sky and DISH TV virtually doubling their month on month advertising spends to tackle the stiff competition from BIG TV.

BIG TV DTH is believed to be building on its existing Channel Genre to enhance the options for its customers as well as in talks with leading niche category broadcasters to enter the Indian market riding on the BIG TV DTH platform. A number of niche international channels are believed to be in process of getting approvals to beam their feed in the Indian BIG TV households.

BIG TV launched its services during the latter part of August with a BIG Bang by offering over 200 channels across 6000 Indian cities on Day One. Riding on the synergies with its parent Telecom business, BIG TV was available across 1 lakh retail outlets, which is perhaps among worlds largest launch of a Home Entertainment Service offering. BIG TV came up with a launch offer under which a BIG TV connection was available from Rs. 1990 onwards. It has been earlier reported that the company which is aiming at a 40% share of the market growth has placed orders for 5 Million DTH Set Top boxes to cater to the first year of its targets.

The Indian TV Household market has an estimated 130 million TV homes, with 80 Mn homes having a C&S connection. The DTH market is estimated to have 8 Million subscribers. The Reliance ADA Group Company is targeting to capture market leadership position by end of its first year’s operations.

Sourced From : K2 Communications Pvt. Ltd