Portugal Telecom announces launch of satellite TV offer

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Portugal Telecom logo

Portugal Telecom (PT) announced today the launch of its nationwide TV offer through satellite (DTH – direct to home), which will complement the existing IPTV offer. PT’s television strategy is based on a multiplatform concept that aims to provide the same content, independent of the customer interface. Meo will be PT’s TV brand across the various platforms, namely at home (through the IPTV and satellite), in the mobile handset (through Meo Mobile) or in a computer (through the horizontal Sapo content platform).

The Meo service is already offered through the IPTV platform over ADSL 2+, with over 100 channels. This service includes advanced characteristics like digital recording, pause-TV, video-on-demand, HD (high definition) channels and flexibility in the choice of the channels subscribed. The DTH service launched today will allow for nationwide coverage through the Hispasat satellite, offering in excess of 70 channels. PT will be using a full high-definition solution based on MPEG-4 and Nagra’s latest generation conditional access technology, which will allow for a number of advanced TV features, such as interactive EPG, multi-room and advanced PVR functionalities.

Meo is also available through Meo Mobile, which offers in excess of 30 channels at anytime and anywhere to PT’s mobile customers. During April, PT aims to launch a mobile handset specifically designed for the Meo Mobile service.

The launch of a nationwide TV offer strengthens PT’s value proposition to its residential customers. This should allow for PT to enhance average revenue per user, through the up-selling of additional services, whilst contributing to increased retention through an attractive service offer at competitive triple-play prices.

PT secured satellite capacity through an eight-year contract with Hispasat that amounts to Euro 43 million booked in the fourth quarter 2007 and already reflected in net debt. Further investments in the satellite business will be mainly customer-related, namely with the cost of set-top boxes that will be rented to DTH customers.