Unotel, Media Networks, Nagra launch pay-TV service
October 11, 2013
Unotel Telecom, Media Networks Latin America and Nagra have confirmed an agreement for the launch of a new pay-TV offering in the first quarter of 2014. The new service will be initially offered to the four million broadband subscriber base of the shareholders and partners of Unotel, with an aggressive growth plan taking advantage of the main sport events that will be hosted in Brazil in the next few years – the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016.
“We are very glad to materialise the dream of many small and medium regional operators with this agreement,” says Orlando Ferreira Neto, President of Unotel. “Our partners will now be able to offer triple play – broadband, voice and video – to their existing broadband customers, allow us to be more competitive and rapidly grow our subscriber base thanks to a complete pay-TV solution.”
The new offering will feature a hybrid digital set-top box enabling the delivery of IP, satellite and digital terrestrial services with content secured by Nagra’s content protection technology (Nagra MediaAccess). It will also be the first commercial deployment of Nagra’s OpenTV 5 middleware over the Media Networks platform in Brazil, with, in future, the possibility of supporting GINGA applications to enable broadcaster interactivity with Unotel subscribers through its free-to-air TV signals. What’s more, with the connection of an external hard disk, the device will automatically convert into a digital recorder. Additional services and products will also be offered through the Internet.
“We are excited to help Unotel transform the pay-TV market with unique and innovative products using our robust content protection solutions and latest generation of set-top box software,” says Thierry Martin, Nagra’s Vice President for South America.
“The infrastructure of Media Networks is prepared to support the aggressive proposal for HD channels that Unotel is planning for its program packages. Moreover, this agreement consolidates the leadership of Media Networks as the principal white label wholesaler of PayTV in Brazil and Latin America.” says Leandro Gaunszer, Commercial Director for Media Networks Latin America.