"The launch of the DTH set top boxes is in keeping with the company's strategy to diversify into new areas, which offer huge potential for growth," Rakesh Mittal, vice-chairman and managing director of Bharti Teletech said.
He, however, ruled out Bharti Group's entry into DTH arena at this juncture, saying "There is no such plan. Even the policy on conditional access system is not clear."
With the set top boxes introduced by Bharti, the subscribers would be able to watch 33 free-to-air channels of Prasar Bharati and listen to 12 FM channels, Mittal said, adding along with set top boxes a small dish antenna would have to be added.
Currently Bharti has introduced two models of set top boxes, costing Rs 2,295 and Rs 2,995. The dish antenna would cost about Rs 500. In fact, the company has tied up with few vendors to supply dish antenna and set top box in a package.
The set top boxes, currently being imported, would be sold under 'Beetel' brand and the company has fixed a target of selling 200,000 boxes by the year end, Mittal said, adding the company would start manufacturing the boxes at its two facilities in Ludhiana and Goa by next year.
The company has also started talking to various other channels like Star, Zee and Sun TV for providing content.
