Direct-to-home is simply high definition digital TV at our door step. Why most of us never heard of it? Because PEMRA didnt think it was right time to auction out licenses of a technology that is being used by millions of users in the region. DTH would mean high quality international entertainment channels at our doorstep. Now if we look at the possible DTH deployment in Pakistan picture looks pretty dark. Local cable providers not only provide low quality cable services which is unreliable, makes no use of superior display of our TVs and worst not regulated at all. This behavior not only deprived the television watchers of our country but wasted what could have been a great investment niche. Oh yes its about foreign and domestic investors too, kind of helps the economy IF they are making money which in this case doesnt look very probable First Mover Advantage.


Remember when the first KFC or McDonalds opened up how people stayed in queues for hours to get a whiff of their tasty products and now we raise our eyebrow sarcastically when we see the new fastfood opening up near us. Well it was the first mover advantage that excites the customers and gets them around to buy the prod- uct. Pakistani markets are flooded with Indian DTH products like SKY ruining its novelty for the consum- ers so DTH investors wont be selling anything new But I Got Better Options


PTCL Smart TV over the internet, IP TV al- ready offer a fulfilling and low cost alternate to DTH and in the absence of DTH providers they have become a part of routine for most TV users. High speed fibrotic and 3G/LTE internet has made world class Apple TV and Netflix launch service in Pakistan, making TV mobile making DTH a very expensive and low tech option. Consum- ers need reasons to switch, and thanks to media they are getting more and more aware of whats best for their pockets and easily available on the move. I dont see a lot a reasons to switch from PTCL SMART TV with 80 channels and customizable features in very decent price especially when I have a Netflix account too, sorry DTH The Ship Has Already Sailed.


For any technology investor to avail max possible profitability requires a launch date which fits the timeline and has a few years of profitability till the next big thing. When a technology is being introduced in market all the new tech toys come equipped to avail it. We have SMART TV and high definition TVs capable of using all advanced options for years. PEMRA has delayed DTH to death and its out of its timeline making it impossible for any investor to earn back from their investments. We can see the plight of telecom companies in Pakistan who spent millions in licensing and infrastructure of 3G and 4G was launched shortly killing any possibility or any return of investment on 3G


In conclusion we can eas- ily see that PEMRA delayed DTH to death simply. The technology that was right for its own time is now a thing of past and consum- ers have better and cheaper options. Any investor in- troducing DTH will not be offering anything new or of value to customers. For Pa- kistani TV viewers there is no appeal in DTH and not many reasons to swath to it either. Globally DTH has al- ready hit event horizon and is now declining revenue wise, companies in DTH business are now looking to adopt the new technology. To top it up PEMRA has announced the auction date on 31st October 2016 and it will take another year before its commercially deployed. Yet another tale of dismay as this opportunity to earn for investors and government sinks into the abyss of red tape culture.

By Web Team

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