Multichoice Monopoly threatened

Last Updated 14 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Samsung Electronics has signed a deal with satellite operator SES to provide up to 60 free-to-air TV channels through their new high-end Samsung LED TV sets with in-built satellite decoders. The yet to be revealed TV set will provide access to 30 free English TV channels and 30 free French channels. The deal with SES was announced during an annual Africa Forum event held in Cape Town last week.

SES which already covers 40 African counties will offer free satellite TV through two satellites-Astra 2A for French speaking countries and Astra 4B for English speaking countries. The viewers will have to aim their dish antennas to either of the two satellites depending on the region they are. The two companies will however jointly arrange training sessions with distribution partners and installers to train on proper connection of TV device and the satellite dish by June this year.

This comes at a time when Kenya plans to switch from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting by the set deadline of June this year. The move is however a torrid affair with furious debates over standards and fights over frequency allocation. This move by Samsung could make it the biggest provider of satellite TV services in Africa giving South Africa’s Multi-Choice a run for its money.

 
The company  seeks to develop more locally relevant products at cheaper prices even as it aims at boosting  its revenue from Africa to $10 billion by the year 2015.Early this year, Samsung opened a training centre in Nairobi to aim of addressing the critical technical and engineering skills shortage in Africa. The Korean firm is aggressively courting African consumers with its “Built for Africa” line of products, which features energy saving electrical appliances built to withstand high temperatures and erratic power supply.

Kenya will be the first consumer of the new product in East African countries together with Nigeria, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana from August this year. The free satellite TVs will come with Samsung’s LED TV Surge Safe plus technology suited for African environment. The price of the TV was however not revealed but officials pointed that it would be competitive.

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