Chinese digital pay TV company StarTimes has expanded its signal coverage network to 13 more towns in Kenya within less than a year of launching in the East African country.
Having previously provided coverage in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, StarTimes has said its digital signal is now available in Meru, Embu, Karatina, Nanyuki, Malindi, Kakamega, Webuye, Kitale, Bungoma, Eldoret, Nyeri, Kisii and Nakuru.
StarTimes Media Kenya’s chief executive Leo Lee said the company is pleased to have covered so much ground in less than a year’s existence in Kenya — having been officially launched in June last year — and is in the process of bringing premium television experience to Kenyans with over 70 channels now available on its digital service.
The company further announced an additional two channels in its menu of offerings, which would see TLC, a lifestyle channel, and Discovery Science, a documentary channel, integrated in the bouquet options at no extra cost.
Lee said that the company aims to change subscriber’s television viewing experience through the offered content expected to meet the varied viewer preferences.
“With over 70 channel options now available on StarTimes, we will keep making it even better not only through competitive pricing but also spicing up our content in an effort to give value for money while keeping our subscribers informed and entertained,” he Lee, as quoted by CIO.
“Our entry into this market is informed by research done over a period of two years, which showed the existence of gap in the broadcasting industry, where the penetration of Pay TV is very low and what is currently available is out of reach for majority of the Kenyans.”
“The research also showed that there is opportunity for the development of digital broadcasting which is barely available in this market,”said StarTimes Chairman Pang Xin Xing.
The company’s Communication Commission of Kenya-approved DVB–T2 technology decoders are available at KSh1,999 (approx US$23). Currently, StarTimes offers subscription services from as low as KSh499 (approx US$6) for the basic package.
StarTimes first launched its operations in China in 1988 and only expanded to Africa two decades later, Rwanda being its initial project.
Aside from Kenya and Rwanda, it operates across over seven African nations including Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Central Africa Republic (CAR).
