Georgia’s largest telecom operator MagtiCom will launch, on 23 January, the country’s first-ever satellite TV platform under the name MagtiSat.
Services will be distributed via the Astra 1G satellite, which is owned and operated by Luxembourg-based…
Georgia’s largest telecom operator MagtiCom will launch, on 23 January, the country’s first-ever satellite TV platform under the name MagtiSat.
Services will be distributed via the Astra 1G satellite, which is owned and operated by Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES.
In a joint statement, the companies explained that “based on a long-term agreement between SES and MagtiCom, several Astra transponders at its 31.5E orbital position will be utilised for Georgia’s first domestic DTH television platform.
“The 31.5E orbital position offers excellent growth opportunities for broadcasters in Central Eastern Europe and can accommodate the rising demand for SD and HD services in the region. The operator will broadcast in DVB-S2 standard and MPEG-4 encoding.”
The packages offered by MagtiSat – start, basic, and HD – will be available throughout Georgia, which has 4.6 million inhabitants, from the first day of broadcasting, the companies stated.
David Lee, general director of MagtiCom, explained: “By launching MagtiSat, MagtiCom will accelerate Georgia’s switchover to digital TV broadcasting.
“This launch is also important for the entire region, as it allows the population of the South Caucasus to enjoy a large and very attractive satellite TV offer.”
About a year ago, SES had teamed up with another company for the launch of a DTH platform in Bulgaria.
Since 1 February 2011, Satellite BG has been using three transponders at Astra’s 23.5E orbital slot to broadcast more than 70 channels, including HD channels, to TV homes across Bulgaria.
Bulgaria has three other satellite TV operators besides Satellite BG: Bulsatcom (on Hellas Sat 2); TotalTV (on Eutelsat W2); and Vivacom TV (Intelsat 12).
In Eastern Europe, DTH platforms that use SES’ satellites also include Viasat in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia; Akta in Romania; CS Link and Skylink in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; and Vision TV in Ukraine.
The Southern and Eastern European DTH market has seen some major changes over the last year or so, with maturing markets like Poland and Romania rapidly consolidating while at the same time a flurry of new entrants have emerged in countries such as Hungary, Greece, and Russia.
