A China-based broadcasting company StarTimes has announced its operation in Kenya, not long after the Kenya’s communications regulator, Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), started testing the digital frequencies in and around Nairobi.
StarTimes was launched Tuesday and will operate with the CCK approved DVB-T1 decoders.
StarTimes is in cooperation with Kenya’s government owned broadcaster the KBC to set-up this technology.
This new entry in Kenya expands the company’s coverage all over Africa, with over ten countries already covered at present.
“Currently StarTimes has more than 710 million program subscribers and provides digital TV services in many African countries, including: Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique and Kenya,” says Leo Lee the company’s Chief Operation Officer (COO).
In East Africa, StarTimes launched in Uganda two years ago and by last year, it had over 200,000 paying customers. It also launched new packages in Tanzania in May expanding their operations in the country.
The company also plans to operate five of its own channels conclusively opening the door to job opportunities.
PayTV sector in Kenya has been very competitive with only Multichoice hanging on as the biggest player in the field with DSTV and GOtv bouquets. Zuku pay channel is also on the cutting edge to dominate the market.
GTV and SmartTV had tried to get a piece of the payTV pie without luck. Both companies closed their operation in Kenya within months.
Established in 1988, StarTimes is a multinational company from China with focus on television broadcasting industries.
It has become the first company keen to cash in on the business opportunities that are to come with the final switch from analogue to digital television broadcasting.
We are to wait and see if StarTimes will conquer the conditions within the Kenyan PayTV market.
The company will provide packages ranging from KSh499 to KSh2,499.
