NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom company, is set to launch Digital TV services on mobile phones this week, offering consumers live content from over 150 channels on the go, which could significantly push up data consumption on its networks and consequently data revenue.
Bharti Airtel is expected to launch a free app — Pocket TV — on Google Play next week, and a month later, on App Store (for iOS platform), which will give access to the service. However, customers will have to subscribe to the service by paying Rs60 a month, and the service will be restricted to existing Airtel Digital television subscribers.
Customers will be able to watch unlimited television on the go but will have to pay additional charges for data consumed through the mobile phone. A Bharti Airtel spokesperson confirmed the move and the pricing, while adding that the service will be available within the week starting March 24. The company added that the service was propelled by 400 per cent increase in mobile TV viewership on its networks in FY13, with sports and news getting most traction.
The move could lead to increase in data consumption on mobile phones for all operators as customers owning a Vodafone or Idea mobile connection can view television on the mobile phone, as long as they have an Airtel Digital connection at home.
Airtel will become the latest among digital television providers to offer TV on the mobile phone. Its competitors including Dish TV and Tata Sky with an estimated 12 million and 11 million plus customers each, respectively, have launched TV on the go at comparable prices last year. The app launch is timed with the exponential growth of around 181 per cent of smartphone sales in India.
Source Bharti Airtel to offer digital TV services on smartphones - The Economic Times on Mobile
Bharti Airtel is expected to launch a free app — Pocket TV — on Google Play next week, and a month later, on App Store (for iOS platform), which will give access to the service. However, customers will have to subscribe to the service by paying Rs60 a month, and the service will be restricted to existing Airtel Digital television subscribers.
Customers will be able to watch unlimited television on the go but will have to pay additional charges for data consumed through the mobile phone. A Bharti Airtel spokesperson confirmed the move and the pricing, while adding that the service will be available within the week starting March 24. The company added that the service was propelled by 400 per cent increase in mobile TV viewership on its networks in FY13, with sports and news getting most traction.
The move could lead to increase in data consumption on mobile phones for all operators as customers owning a Vodafone or Idea mobile connection can view television on the mobile phone, as long as they have an Airtel Digital connection at home.
Airtel will become the latest among digital television providers to offer TV on the mobile phone. Its competitors including Dish TV and Tata Sky with an estimated 12 million and 11 million plus customers each, respectively, have launched TV on the go at comparable prices last year. The app launch is timed with the exponential growth of around 181 per cent of smartphone sales in India.
Source Bharti Airtel to offer digital TV services on smartphones - The Economic Times on Mobile
