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Tag: Cable operator

  • Den Networks reports revenue of Rs 1,226 crore for FY’22

    Den Networks reports revenue of Rs 1,226 crore for FY’22

    Mumbai: Cable TV distribution company Den Networks has released its financial results for the fourth quarter 2022 on Thursday. The company reported revenues of Rs 303 crore and profit after tax of Rs 49 crore higher than Q3’22 which was at Rs 44 core.

    The company reported revenue of Rs 1,226 crore for FY’22 less than it earned in FY’21 at 1,307 crore. Its profit after tax for the year stood at Rs 171 crore and the total cost for the year stood at Rs 1,022 crore.

    The company reported gross debt and healthy cash balances of Rs 2,547 crore for the quarter. It earned Rs 167 crore from subscriptions, Rs 93 crore from marketing income, Rs 26 crore from other operating income, and Rs 17 crore in activation revenues.

    The company also reported total costs of Rs 248 crore including content costs at Rs 148 crore, personnel costs at Rs 21 core, other operational expenses at Rs 79 crore, and Rs one crore provision for doubtful debts and advances.

    Den Networks operates a cable and broadband business. Its cable operations cover over 500+ cities/towns across 13 key states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in India. Its broadband business is enabled across 41 cities/towns in the country.

  • Nxtdigital launches 40 new Nxthubs across India

    Nxtdigital launches 40 new Nxthubs across India

    Mumbai: Integrated digital distribution company Nxtdigital Ltd (NDL) has launched 40 Nxthubs across India and unveiled a value-added app for its last-mile owner (LMO) on Thursday.

    Following the launch of its pilot in Ranchi, these Nxthubs were electronically launched at an event in Hyderabad across 13 states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, amongst others.

    Each Nxthub is owned and operated by NDL and is equipped with the latest technology comprising an ADDS or advanced digital distribution system – to distribute over 650 digital TV services received via satellite to LMOs and their customers. The Nxthub plug-and-play model eliminates the need for LMOs to invest in head-end and related technology. Besides video and broadband, these Nxthubs are future-ready to offer a slew of additional digital services including OTT and WiFi.

    According to the company, each location has been strategically chosen to augment the company’s footprint across the country, which today stands at over 4,400 pin codes, as well as focus on markets where LMO growth is constrained by the ability to invest. For LMOs, this plug-and-play solution facilitates them to go ‘digital’ literally overnight, offering their customers over 650 digital television channels and other digital services including broadband.

    NDL has planned a total of 100 such Nxthubs for this financial year that will further strengthen the NDL footprint across the country.

    “One of the key principles of the Hinduja Group is ‘partnership for growth’. After 2.0 saw the launch of headend-in-the-sky (HITS) to connect LMOs in even the most remote locations through the only satellite-based cable TV platform in India; 3.0 focuses not just on strengthening the overall ecosystem we have built, but harnessing the convergence of technologies – to be delivered through a national network of Nxthubs,” said Nxtdigital Ltd MD and CEO Vynsley Fernandes. “Video and broadband are only the start of the digital highway of services that we have developed for roll-out, backed by a robust suite of innovative apps developed by service providers, exclusively for our LMOs and subscribers.”

    Nxtdigital regional head for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana SY Srikumar said the company is proud that 16 of the 40 Nxthubs are in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana alone. “This national launch from Hyderabad reflects our commitment to LMOs here and the subscribers who expect a high quality of service. We believe this unique model will help stimulate growth and we have already lined up not just new products but also many more Nxthubs across the region,” he added.

    NDL also announced the launch of its new APIs or application programme interfaces for its Nxtdigital HITS service as well as a pre-integrated mobile app solution from ‘Mobiezy’ – under its VAAP program or ‘value-added apps for partners’. These APIs are designed to provide LMOs a way to develop or integrate their own subscriber mobile applications to automate activation/deactivation of subscriber packages directly into NDL’s systems, thereby enhancing the user experience it announced on Thursday.

    “This initiative will empower subscribers to pay online and subscribe to the channels they want to watch and get it activated on their TV sets in real-time without any delay. Without needing to undertake any software development, LMOs can approach Mobiezy for their pre-built and pre-integrated solution that uses Nxtdigital’s new APIs and can be up and running with their own mobile apps within just a few days,” said Nxtdigital group chief technology officer Ru Ediriwira.

    NDL has also been working on an infrastructure sharing model which will help other MSOs reduce operating costs, improve quality of service and extend services to hitherto unviable markets, especially rural; by riding on the HITS platform that covers all of India.

  • Emergency plan in place, cable operators are prepared to counter Covid

    Emergency plan in place, cable operators are prepared to counter Covid

    KOLKATA: During the Covid2019 outbreak last year, cable operators in India served the country’s entertainment and infotainment needs as an essential service. It was not easy to operate in a lockdown for an industry that involves huge on-ground operation as well as close contact with consumers. From running out of inventories to fall in payment collection, the operators face an array of issues. Now, with the country feeling the heat of the second wave, the industry says it is better prepared than last year.

    Fastway Transmissions group CEO Prem Ojha said that the MSO is not facing any issue presently, because only a few parts of the country like Delhi and Mumbai have been significantly impacted. Most of the other geographies are normal right now, barring weekend and night curfews in some places. He noted that field activity gets very limited post 10 pm, right up to 6 am in the morning anyway. Hence, there is no such disruption as of now.

    Although Ojha is uncertain how things will pan out with cases on the rise, the leeway of being part of essential services will play in their favour. But partners and teams have to brave it out, risking their own health to continue to serve, added.  The company already has a contingency plan with the right amount of technical support and equipment in place should matters turn more critical.

    “There will be some hardship but the work will carry on. It will be a challenging scenario but nothing will get stalled. This time people are braver, more confident than last year. Uncertainty factor is lesser compared to last year,” he said.

    GTPL Hathway cable TV head & chief strategy officer Piyush Pankaj acknowledged that due to the looming possibility of a lockdown, certain problems are creeping back. But they have experience on how to deal with the crisis, and the company is well prepared for the situation, he asserted. Since Covid cases began to surge in late March, efforts are underway to cope with the issues.

    PPE kits are ready for staff, digital payments have been established. Moreover, customer communications are being taken care of through online and telephonic medium rather than in-person visits. “We have already taken precautions on ground. We are not facing the mounting problem that we faced last time,” he summed up.

    As of now, the situation on their end is under control, said Siti Networks CEO Anil Malhotra. While the Covid curve began peaking 10-15 days back, the MSO has not seen any major impact so far. However, more operators and staffs are getting affected. Unfortunately, people were not being cautious this time, which will further compound problems, he mused. The company has already started telling people how to take precautions, and is helping those who are suffering.

    “It can’t get worse than last year. We have learnt in 2020 how to work with little or skeleton staff. This time, I am more worried about our staffs and it would be great if the government can insure these people,” Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation president Arvind Prabhu highlighted.

    Despite the sector’s resolute outlook, operational challenges have already cropped up. Although the government has issued a notification where cable service is categorised as essential services, transport is becoming an issue. There is also the risk of infection. At present, operators are rotating the staffs so all of them don’t fall sick and in case someone falls sick, they have backup, Prabhu mentioned.

    Other than workforce issues, the industry faced shortage in inventory and other supply chain issues during lockdown. The same situation is playing out again; there was no disposable income to purchase stock in advance, as cable operators took a 40 per cent hit in revenue last year, Prabhu pointed out. Apart from some of the big players, no one else has kept inventory ready.

    Fastway’s Ojha highlighted a significant trend. With more offices being closed again, the incremental demand for broadband is going up. That traction is visible now, Ojha added. The demand will further go upwards, and therefore the operator is ensuring inventory and other things are in place so they can meet the demand.

    Some of the major MSOs have started work-from-home provision again. One-third of GTPL Hathway’s staff is working from home currently. Siti Networks has also initiated WFH option for non-critical employees and is providing necessary apparatus for that. While all Fastway workers are operating from home, the company is being flexible with employees who are travelling from containment zones or showing any Covid symptom. All of them are ready to ask more staff to work from home if the situation deteriorates.

  • Mahesh Babu to feature in Zee Telugu’s unique concept video

    Mahesh Babu to feature in Zee Telugu’s unique concept video

    MUMBAI: Zee Telugu through the years has excelled in bringing forth diverse content to its beloved audience. Content that is made up of stories ranging from themes pertinent to the social and cultural context of the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh inspires them to take the first step towards change. And now, with the launch of three new shows – Prema Entha Madhuram starring Venkat Sriram and Varsha HK as the leads, Trinayani starring Aashika Gopal Padukone and Thoorpu Padamara with Yamini and Jaya Kavi alongside Pranay and Vinay in the lead roles, Zee Telugu will further strengthen its offerings.

    The new shows are the channel’s latest addition to its fiction genre and for the first time, superstar Mahesh Babu has joined hands with Zee Telugu to be featured in a unique concept video. The charming star shot with the cast of the new shows today at a plush hotel in Hyderabad alongside the famed Anchor Pradeep Machiraju. Zee Telugu is all set to air the video for its ardent viewers during Sankranti. Audiences can also view this video across various theaters in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

    The video starring Mahesh Babu and the launch of fiction shows will be coming soon on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    Viewers can subscribe to Zee Telugu, available in the Zee Prime Pack at Rs. 20 per month.

    To ensure to not miss out on the favorite Zee Telugu shows, viewers can choose the Zee Prime Pack that includes Zee Telugu, and Zee Cinemalu alongside seven other top channels of the Zee Network that cater to the daily entertainment needs at Rs. 20 per month only. More information is available with the DTH or the Cable operator.

  • Zee Telugu to launch two fiction shows on Makar Sankranti

    Zee Telugu to launch two fiction shows on Makar Sankranti

    MUMBAI: Zee Telugu has always been at the forefront in providing rich and diverse content to the viewers. The channel is further strengthening its content offerings by narrating tales across a range of subjects which will offer viewers a wide variety of emotions and strike conversations around socially relevant subjects. As Zee Telugu always believes in the ‘content-first’ philosophy, it continues to sharpen their creativity, concepts, and initiatives that embody the same vision.

    With deep-rooted storytelling at the core, the channel has will launch two new fiction shows at Zee Telugu’s Sankranti Sambaralu event happening in Machilipatnam. Zee Telugu has introduced ‘Thoorpu Padamara’ theme teaser and the title song of ‘Prema Entha Madhuram’ which was shot in Kashmir. Over the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, anchored by exuberant Pradeep Machiraju and chirpy Shyamala, Sankranti Sambaralu event will bring Zee Telugu Kutumbam under one roof.

    ‘Prema Entha Madhuram’, a remake of Zee Marathi’s popular show ‘Tula Pahate Re’ which was later remade as ‘Jothe Jotheyali’ in Zee Kannada, wheels around unconventional love story of a couple belonging to different generations and stands as a witness to the love that surpasses materialistic limits of age, status, and lifestyle, to prove the purity in love between two individuals. Starring Venkat Sriram and Varsha HK as the leads, for the first time on Indian Television, the title song of a serial was shot in Pahalgam, Kashmir at -10.5 degrees in just 10 hours’ time.

    The story of ‘Thoorpu Padamara’ revolves around two young girls played by Yamini and Jaya Kavi. The show narrates the contrasting attitudes of the girls towards life and the repercussions they face in their lives due to the decisions they take. The show marks the comeback of Zee Telugu’s popular face Yamini who was last featured in channel’s super hit shows ‘Muthyala Muggu’ and ‘Meenakshi’. Actor Pranay will play opposite Yamini, while Vinay will share the screen with Jaya Kavi.

    The channel has lined up special offerings for its viewers to celebrate the Sankranti fervor and gaiety of the festival with a mix of special games, coupled with fantastic music and performances.

    The big bang performances of Zee Telugu Kutumbam and the launch of the fiction shows will be coming soon on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    To enjoy the shows, customers will have to subscribe to Zee Telugu, available in the Zee Prime Pack at Rs. 20 per month.

    To not miss the favorite Zee Telugu shows, customers have to choose the Zee Prime Pack that includes Zee Telugu, and Zee Cinemalu alongside seven other top channels of the Zee Network that cater to the daily entertainment needs of your entire family at Rs. 20 per month only. More information is available with the DTH or the Cable operator.

  • TiVo’s next-gen solution to help cable operators retain customers

    TiVo’s next-gen solution to help cable operators retain customers

    MUMBAI: TiVo Corporation has launched Next-Gen Platform, a range of cloud-based products with a unified backend to help operators stay ahead of the game. The platform can be deployed for QAM, hybrid and IPTV to anticipate and quickly address customer needs.

    “Consumers face a fragmented, ever-changing media landscape as new services, content sources and devices continue to proliferate,” said TiVo senior vice president and general manager for user experience Michael Hawkey. “Media companies are compelled to evolve. TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform is specifically designed to meet the consumer’s insatiable desire for entertainment while enabling operators to maintain market share and remain relevant amid growing competition.”

    Customers can be assured of services like hyper-personalisation, recommendations, voice control, seamless integration of content across linear, OTT, on-demand and DVR platforms for multiscreen purposes. Content can be driven wherever it is watched such as managed set top boxes such as Linux and Android TV, unmanaged devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, mobile and web.

    Service providers will be able to reduce churn, boost customer engagement, capture and retain market segments, stay ahead of competition and own customer experience.

    “User experience defines the operator’s video services for consumers,” said Parks Associates senior director of research Brett Sappington. “Every pay-TV service and streaming video service is working to capture and maintain consumer attention in order to drive ongoing use and monetisation. As a result, operators need a flexible platform that allows them to innovate rapidly and meet or surpass connected experiences offered elsewhere.”

    The solution also helps operators in their transition to IPTV considering capital expenditure, networking and rights constraints of the operator while maintaining support for QAM

    Also Read :

    Japan’s KDDI adopts TiVo’s remote-recording service

    TiVo brings comprehensive personalised content discovery platform with voice search

    Turner selects TiVo to provide enhanced electronic programme services

     

  • NXT Digital ‘hits’ Indian market with total outlay of Rs 5000 crore

    NXT Digital ‘hits’ Indian market with total outlay of Rs 5000 crore

    NEW DELHI : After three and half years of struggle, Hinduja’s Headend In The Sky (HITS) platform NXT Digital finally got rolling with a total project outlay of approximately Rs 5000 crore. The mammoth investment will be utilised as the business continues to design and develop new products and services for a growing customer base as well as strive to enhance its own standards.

     

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley officially launched the venture in the presence of Hinduja Group chairmanAshok Hinduja and Grant Investrade MD Tony D’Silva.

     

    Launching the platform, Jaitley said, “Multiple carriage technologies will provide customers more choice as to which technology platform to choose.”

     

    While Hinduja Ventures has set an initial budget of Rs 5000 crore for the project, the chairman is open to investing more if necessary. “We are here to aggressively back this initiative and if necessary we will invest double or triple the allocated budget. Last mile operators (LMOs) are the one who started the business by laying the first cable and this venture is for them,” Hinduja said.

     

    The HITS project will not only facilitate over 100 million homes go digital in Phase III & IV digitisation markets but will also raise the standards of quality of service. 

     

    To acquire the base model of a Cable Operators Premises Equipment (COPE), one has to pay Rs 10.60 lakh while the premium one can be acquired after a payment of Rs 14 lakh. The amount appears high for the LMOs but Hinduja said that the Group also has a finance group, which would help the LMOs. “The project has a lot of securities and the investment is certain to provide returns so it is a safe investment. We have insurance schemes for the operators so their investment is safe,” he added.

     

    According to D’Silva, the consumer will have to pay a maximum of Rs 50 per month. NXT Digital is presently equipped to beam up to 500 channels and this capacity can be raised to 1000. The earth station is in Sector 62 in Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. NXT Digital has six transponders at present.

     

    D’Silva also noted that it was interesting that the last two phases of Digital Addressable Cable TV System (DAS) provided for only 32 per cent of the revenue though they would cover a much larger area.

     

    The DAS Phase III and IV areas, which are estimated to have more than 120 million home, are the prime focus of NXT Digital. To succeed in occupying 15 per cent of the market, the company will have to provide set top boxes (STBs) to 20 million home, which is a huge demand to supply. However, Hinduja is bullish about meeting the demand on time and optimistic that the platform will not face a situation where there will be shortage of boxes.

     

    NXT Digital is also positioning itself as a adopter of the government’s Make in India, Digital India and Skill India initiatives, which according to Hinduja was the byword for the Group. The LMOs in the DAS III and IV areas have to be skilfully equipped with modern technologies that NXT Digital will be bringing in.

     

    Asked about how his system was different from the already existing – NSTPL’s JainHits – Hinduja said that the aim of the Hinduja Group was to protect the LCOs because it was they who had built this industry in the late eighties. “Therefore, the LMO will not lose out in any way, will be fully in charge of his own company, and will have full freedom to operate in his own way,” he said.

     

    When queried as to why it had taken the Group three years to get a licence when there was no cap on HITS, Hinduja said, “Formalities take time.”

     

    He also said that wherever someone tries to bring in transparency in any system, there are objections. He was also conscious that there was competition in the field and this may even lead to some legal hassles, but his Group was prepared for everything.

     

    Hinduja said that he was conscious of the matter relating to NSTPL pending in TDSAT, which sought that broadcasters treat HITS players at par with multi system operators (MSOs). He said the NXT Digital viewpoint had been presented at the hearings.

     

    Senior Hinduja executive Aubin Das said that the NXT Digital platform also took efforts to curb the issue of piracy and if LMOs attempt to put on the channel of a broadcaster in the slots meant for local channels, it could be immediately traced and stopped.

     

    Commenting on the training and development initiatives Castlemedia director Vynsley Fernandes said, “We are travelling to every nook and corner of the country to skilfully equip and train people about our technological upliftment and it is a chain system. Around 200 people have been trained under a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme and they will train others. And we are not equipping them only about NXT Digital we are introducing them to the next generation.”

     

    D’Silva said that under NXT Digital, the LMO gets to continue their ownership, enter into broadcasting deals, do packaging and pricing according to market demands, acquire STBs at cheaper rates, run up to 16 local channels, and compete with direct-to-home (DTH) operators.

     

    He added that DTH was on Ku-Band, which got disturbed in rainy or inclement weather, but HITS being on C-Band will not be disturbed. Furthermore, the HITS headend was on ground while DTH had to depend on satellites. Furthermore, NXT Digital will be able to service both DAS and non-DAS areas.

     

    NXT Digital focused marketing and subscription drive in the Phase III & IV markets. The company has so far travelled across 400 districts in 20 states to contact and inform the cable fraternity there about its offerings. As of now it has 14 vans touring various parts of the country to give live demonstrations to LMOs and LCOs. 

      

    Welcoming the move, Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation president and task force member Arvind Prabhu said, “I would like to congratulate AP Hinduja, with this initiative he actually kickstarts the process of digitisation. Mr Hinduja thought about the last mile operators and came up with NXT Digital, which will help LCOs getting their due. The other HITS platform is providing the COPE at a cheaper price and that will be a challenge. The pricing that we got from them are really good but considering the fact that DAS III and DAS IV areas do not come under ratings I believe there can be further negotiation with the broadcaster. Overall I believe it’s a move for the LCOs.”

     

    LCO from Assam and Task Force member Md Iquebal Ahmed also welcomed the HITS venture. “Operators cannot afford headends and MSOs take total advantage of it and in that context, it’s a great initiative. But the content pricing needs to come out transparently. Affordable pricing is what we are looking forward to.”

     

  • Multiple unregistered cable operators: A case of ignorance or mutual offence?

    Multiple unregistered cable operators: A case of ignorance or mutual offence?

    MUMBAI: More than 50 per cent of cable operators in the Pune district are found to be operating without the necessary registration. A special drive conducted by the Pune district entertainment department discovered that 500 out of the 960 cable operators in Pune do not possess postal registration, which is mandatory as per norms set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

     

    “It has come to light that more than half of the existing cable operators are operating without following the TRAI guidelines. The operators were given two months to register themselves with the head post-office. But after regular inspection, it was found that the operators continued to evade registering with the post offices and notices have been issued to these operators. The issue has been pending for the past two years,” an official was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

     

    Tax evasion can be one of the biggest reason behind this irregularity in registration. “These cable operators extract tax from people and do not deposit the same to the department. With the TRAI rules, we are getting to know about the evasions and the entertainment department has been asked to meet the target and get all the registrations,” added the official.

     

    However, when contacted by Indiantelevision.com, a senior official in the cable fraternity was loathe to accept the quoted number of operators, who were operating without the necessary registration. “What we came to know so far is that the operators of few fringe areas, which merely has a subscriber base of 25 – 50 may not have registered. It’s impossible that the number is so high. Moreover, what we are looking to find out is if those operators were charged entertainment tax. Our sources tell us that these operators have been paying entertainment tax. If that is true, then a pertinent question to ask the authorities is how taxes were charged to illegal operators.”    

     

    For city areas the tax per consumer is Rs 24 while the rural areas pay Rs 15.

     

    According to TRAI guidelines, it is mandatory for cable operators providing services via digital addressable systems (DAS) to register with the head post office before offering services. Cable operators are also required to enter into inter-connection agreements with multi-system operators (MSOs) whose signal they carry.

     

    While the issue has come to light in Pune as of now, it is a matter of major concern as to how many other cities and districts have a similar problem. Given the vast length and breadth of the country, the task at hand is onerous to say the least.

  • TDSAT directs Hathway Cable to pay Rs 9 crore to Star Sports

    TDSAT directs Hathway Cable to pay Rs 9 crore to Star Sports

    MUMBAI: The country’s leading mult-system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom and Rupert Murdoch-owned sports broadcaster Star Sports are engaged in two legal battles in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

     

    In the first case, the TDSAT has directed the two parties to settle their dispute over the outstanding dues in the tribunal’s mediation centre. In the interim, in an order last week, the TDSAT had ordered Hathway Cable to pay Rs 8.57 crore to Star Sports within one week in settlement of some of the dues.

     

    Hathway Cable has already made the Rs 8.57 crore payment. The MSO and the sports broadcaster will meet at the mediation centre on 27 March to discuss and settle issues over other payments that are due to Star Sports.

     

    The order reads: “The petitioner admits the dues to the tune of Rs 8,57,18,075. It is further stated on behalf of the petitioner that Rs 1,16,12,554  was  deducted as tax payable at source and the petitioner will give the requisite certificates to the respondent within a week from today. The difference between the dues claimed by the respondent and admitted by the petitioner is thus in the vicinity of Rs 1.93 crore and odd. At this stage, it also needs to be noted that according to the respondent two cheques which added up to Rs 60,27,135 and which are shown in the petitioner’s statement of accounts as having been given to the respondent were not actually received by it. This amount would, therefore, be subject to verification.  In case the cheques have in fact not been given to the respondent the petitioner must pay the admitted amount of Rs 8,57,18,075 plus Rs 60,27,135. The aforesaid payment must be made to the respondent within one week from today i.e. by 17.03.2014.”

     

    In another case filed by Star Sports against the MSO, the sports broadcaster has claimed that in the DAS phase I cities of Mumbai and Delhi, Hathway Cable has been violating the regulatory process by removing Star Sports out of its channel packs and placing them as a la carte without reducing the pack price or substituting the channels. It claims that the MSO is charging additional money for adding the channels above the pack.

     

    This case will come up for hearing on 19 March. TDSAT has already asked Hathway Cable to file an affidavit showing that it is complying with the regulations, the number of subscribers who have requested Star Sports and the number of subscribers for whom Star Sports has been activated.

  • Eutelsat KabelKiosk selects HTTV middleware to deploy HbbTV IPTV

    Eutelsat KabelKiosk selects HTTV middleware to deploy HbbTV IPTV

    MUMBAI: HTTV has announced that httvLink, its HbbTV open-middleware for connected TV STBs, has been selected by Eutelsat KabelKiosk to power its new wholesale HbbTV IPTV offering. This will be the first time worldwide, that HbbTV will be deployed on IPTV networks.

    KabelKiosk is the leading provider of ready to use TV products and services in Europe for network operators. It is operated by Eutelsat Germany, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Eutelsat S.A, one of the worldwide leading satellite operators.

    KabelKiosk will use HbbTV 1.5 compliant httvLink middleware and IP STB’s from leading Korean manufacturer, Kaon Media, for its new HbbTV IPTV offering. It will enable IPTV Network Operators (IPNO) such as cities carrier or local communities to provide advanced connected TV set top boxes to more than five million German households. These IPNO would be able to operate pay TV networks under their own brands by using KabelKiosk’s infrastructure and content.

    Eutelsat KabelKiosk will make the content available on HbbTV STBs as well as on iOS, Android smartphone, tablets, PCs and Mac.

    “HTTV is proud to have been selected by a leading provider such as KabelKiosk for this first HbbTV IPTV network wholesale offer” said HTTVCEO Regis Saint Girons in a release.  “This demonstrates that HbbTV is a flexible and powerful standard not only for free to air but also for PayTV and IPTV networks,” he added.

    “Our KabelKiosk platform is the engine of innovation in the German speaking cable and IP network markets. Therefore working with httv, one of the true digital TV software innovators, is a perfect match. Its leading position on HbbTV middleware has made it the natural choice to contribute to our new offer and to consolidate our technological leadership”, said Eutelsat Germany managing director Martina Rutenbeck.