Telekomunikacja Polska digital satellite television now available

Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TPSA, TP) [Warsaw: TPS] starts provision of television services based on the satellite technology and introduces a new offer – neostrada tp with television (neostrada tp z telewizją) at attractive prices. Within 24-month contracts, for the price of neostrada tp – 512 kb/s, 1Mb/s or 2Mb/s, customers additionally receive a possibility of watching more than 30 TV channels.

“Thanks to the satellite technology, we can offer multimedia services to a much bigger group of customers who have remained outside the range of services based on the cable technology (ADSL) so far. This is a really groundbreaking moment for us”, said Dominique Lesage, TP Group Director in charge of Content. “In our strategy, we have intended that TP will be a multimedia operator, and today, we are one step closer to this goal.”

TP’s new offer will include provision of digital television with the highest quality picture and sound, based on the satellite technology (DTH) or, as it used to be now, via telephone line with the use of the ADSL (IPTV) technology, whose range covers big cities. Thanks to implementation of the satellite technology, the range of the service has considerably increased the group of prospects and it currently amounts to more than 9 million households. The price will be identical irrespective of the technology, and the choice of the technology (IPTV/DTH) will depend on technical conditions in a given location.

“Customers expect a package of services at an attractive price, and it is our priority to provide them with such an offer, irrespective of technological limitations or the place of their living”, explains Paweł Galej, Director of TV Services and VOD Department. “In fact, television services we offer are free of charge, because customers with 24-month contracts will pay the same amount for a package of neostrada tp with television as they would pay for the Internet with a livebox.

*price for neostrada tp is applicable to the special offer “Internet for everybody”

One-off activation payment on the special offer is 12.20 PLN, VAT inclusive. Customers may also buy a satellite dish at a special price 1.22 PLN, VAT inclusive, and use services of one of the installation companies recommended by TP to have their dish installed.

Apart more than 30 Polish and foreign TV channels delivered within the subscription fee, customers using satellite television have a possibility to receive uncoded channels available on the Hot Bird satellite (more than 200 channels). Moreover, they will have a chance to buy a new sports channel – Orange Sport and the package Multipakiet Canal+ available on the Cyfra+ offer, i.e. a package consisting of 4 channels: CANAL+, CANAL+ Film, CANAL+ Sport and CANAL+ Sport2.

Customers who will receive television via telephone line will also get the access to more than 30 Polish and foreign TV channels within their subscription fee and a possibility to buy additional tp TV packages (M, L, HBO, and Orange Sport), which offer access to more than 50 channels, or one of Cyfra+ packages (there are 4 packages on offer).

Telekomunikacja Polska intends to provide an identical channel offer for all customers using television services, irrespective of the technology the service will be based on. The company plans to provide video at a request of the users of television based on the satellite technology in 2009. Currently, only the users of IPTV television have access to it.

The set-top box, manufactured by Samsung (SHD 85), is equipped with a Viaccess card reader, and is HD-capable.