RELIANCE Broadcasting Unlimited, Inc. (RBU), an affiliate of Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., has secured a direct-to-home (DTH) license from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), allowing it to broadcast free-to-air channels nationwide, the Pampanga-based company said on Tuesday.
“It has been a challenge to provide information to our people because the Philippines is an archipelago with over 7,000 islands. With RBU pivoting into a DTH operator, we’ll be able to do our share in giving access to crucial public information to more Filipinos as we try to reach every island in the country,” Reliance Broadcasting President Frank Martin S. Abalos said in a media release.
Reliance Broadcasting said its direct-to-home service will be powered by Korea-based company KT Sat Co. Ltd., a provider of satellite services and solutions.
According to its website, KT Sat satellite covers around 60% of the global population. Aside from Korea, it also provides satellite communication services to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan.
“The NTC granted provisional authority to RBU late last year to provide DTH services throughout the Philippines,” the company said.
With its license, Reliance Broadcasting is now allowed to broadcast free-to-air channels like PTV, GMA, RPTV, GTV, All TV, and 14 more “must carry” channels nationwide, including remote areas in the Philippines.
Reliance Broadcasting’s direct-to-home service will complement the internet services of its affiliate Converge, Mr. Abalos said, noting that the broadcasting company can provide broadcasting services to underserved areas through satellite technology.
Reliance Broadcasting is also in collaboration with various organizations to air public service announcements and education materials, it said.
Further, Reliance Broadcasting is also eyeing to offer set-top boxes.
Converge is the largest operator of fiber-to-home fixed broadband in the Philippines with over 700,000 kilometers of fiber footprint in the Philippines. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
