Star DTV connects 200,000 DVB-T subscribers in east Africa

East African digital TV service provider StarTimes is reaching around 200,000 subscribers in the region according to Kevin Chen its chief marketing officer in Uganda, reports East African Business Week.
StarTimes officially began its operations in Uganda in March 2010 and so far has a customer base of 30,000 subscribers. It also operates in 10 other countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Nigeria and has its headquarters in Beijing China.
Chen said once connected, customers do not need to line up to renew their subscription because they buy a scratch card, load it and send a message and the subscription is renewed. “This kind of flexibility has made StarTimes very easy to use and affordable compared with other pay TV channels,” said Chen. He said customers have liked their services because of the technology they use. “Customers cut costs because they do not need a dish to get connected which would come with added costs. All you need is Star DTV-enabled decoder,” he noted. “The decoders have an attached antenna that works as a receiver in the place of a dish”.
Startimes has been competitive in the areas of entertainment, wildlife, fashion and news channels like BBC, Al Jazeera and France24. Chen further added that in Uganda they will be spreading to Mbarara in western Uganda and Gulu, northern Uganda early next year. ”We have a commitment with International Telecommunication Union to ensure that by 2012 Uganda has no analogue system,” noted Chen.
Main source: East African Business Week
Item added: 11th October 2010