KATHMANDU, Nepal – Orient Digital Media and Subisu Cable Net, the leading internet providers are planning to launch Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service for the first time in the country.
Orient has received already received the licence, while Subisu has applied for the permission from the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Through IPTV, television contents are delivered to viewers through internet instead of traditional terrestrial broadcast, satellite signal or cable television formats. Subscriber of IPTV can watch TV even in smartphones and tablets.
Subisu, one of the leading internet service providers of the country, has planned to launch the IPTV with 15 channels by March if the government permits it to do so.
The Orient Degital is also working to launch the service with 36 channels any time soon.
According to the Audio-Visual and Broadcasting Section of the Ministry of Information and Communications, “Orient Digital has not started the service, and Subisu is yet to complete the application procedure”.
The Communications Ministry has fixed the licence fee at Rs 25,000 per channel and the annual renewal fee at 10 percent of licence fee.
Besides the two companies, state-owned Nepal Telecom (NT) too has expressed interest in operating IPTV service.
Based on local companies’ interest to provide the IPTV service, the government about two years ago had opened the licence.