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Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Satellite TV Comes to Romania

About half of Romanian homes are connected to one of the country's 1,500 TV cable networks.

According to statistics from the Romanian Cable Communications Association, there are about 3.5 million cable customers. Some receive only 10 to 15 channels, while others have 50 to 55 channels, as well as Internet and phone services.

In the last few months, two of the three main players in the cable market -- Romanian Cable System (RCS) and UPC Romania, as well as three smaller companies --announced they would launch a revolutionary technology.

Direct To Home (DTH) television will offer 25 to 40 TV channels to any house in Romania.

Instead of using cable, the signal will be sent by satellite and received by a small dish. It will be possible to rent the receiving kit for a small tax, while the monthly price for the service will be an average of 6.8 euros.

"Some people living in the villages have higher incomes, and would like cable TV. There are mayors, priests, policemen, teachers or doctors. There are also thousands of holiday houses in remote areas," said Cristinel Popa, general manager of Focus Sat.

The group is also counting on attracting customers from areas that have cable, but where customers are not happy with the services being offered.

Taking into account all these categories of customers, more than half a million Romanians are thought likely to subscribe to DTH in the next few years.

RCS has ordered 150,000 digital receivers from Hyundai, costing 8m euros. UPC, meanwhile, is investing 15m euros over the next three to four years, in hopes of attracting 150,000 to 200,000 new clients.

Posted by Iulia Rasoiu : 1/19/2005 10:00:00 am