The DTH or Direct to Home uses wireless technology to provide the television services to subscriber anywhere in the country as programs are directly sent from the satellite which eliminate the need for cable. Now, people in Pakistan can also watch their favorite television programs in high definition because DTH is coming to Pakistan!
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Unlike cable TV, DTH system is no doubt far more expensive and majority of the experts believe that replacing the cable TV will be hard for DTH due to its cost-effectiveness. The spokesperson of PEMRA believes that DTH service will not replace the cable TV in the long run. He also said that DTH coming to Pakistan but the cable TV system will not be demolished from grass root levels and simultaneously both services may be employed by the user.
No doubt quality conscious people would opt for DTH since it offers superior quality. The audio and video quality of this service is admirable. Currently, there is no information available regarding rates but surely its subscription charges will be higher than Cable TV and awareness of DTH service in the future will spread from classes to masses.
It would be too early to talk about its adaption because the officials of PEMRA are also not sure when it is actually going to surface in Pakistan.
In December 2003, if you recall, PAMRA proudly issued the DTH license to ARY communications and Cross Currents (Pvt) Ltd. However, the project was shelved by both the companies. Now, it has been confirmed from various authentic news sources that a few weeks are left to welcome the most advanced TV broadcast technology in Pakistan.
Indian Dish TV is also very popular and just in case if you don’t know, some people across the country have purchased illegal STBs (Set-Top-Box). The installation charges for the device are Rs. 7000 to 8000 while Rs. 1000 is monthly subscription charges which only offer 99 channels – out of which 35 are regional Indian channels and almost 40 foreign news channels. Against such a hefty subscription charges, only 20 to 25 channels are watched by the Pakistani subscriber.
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The Indian DTH service providers earn almost $150 million annually from the Pakistani market without any tax deduction. Now, it’s up to PEMRA to make DTH reality in Pakistan and give the local operators the opportunity to earn all this money and with proper taxation.
