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PT Global Mediacom (Mediacom), the media and
telecommunications giant which owns RCTI, TPI, GlobalTV and pay
television company Indovision, plans to expand its subscriber-based
media empire by entering the mobile TV and IPTV industries.
Mobile TV is a television service channeled to subscribers through
mobile telecom networks, while IPTV is television content that is
received by the viewer through computer networks.
President director Harry Tanoesoedibjo said Thursday after a
shareholders meeting that Mediacom, which is also the majority
shareholder in CDMA-based mobile phone operator PT Mobile 8, would
expand to other types of subscriber-based media, including mobile TV
and IPTV, next year at the latest.
"We are still discussing the expansion plans. We hope we can realize
the plans, especially the mobile TV plan, by the end of this year or in
the first quarter of 2008 at the latest," Harry said.
"I estimate that the mobile TV expansion plan will require about US$15
million to $20 million in capital expenditure. We will start in big
cities, such as Jakarta and its surrounds. We will expand it
gradually," he said.
Mediacom will also strengthen its position in the country's pay
television sector.
"We plan to further develop PT MNC Sky Vision, the unit that owns a
majority stake in Indovision, which serves direct to home pay
television with a 50 percent market share," he said, declining to name
the specific budget allocation.
Harry said in Indonesia, pay television penetration only stands at 2 -
3 percent, meaning there is significant potential for growth.
"Even if it is only a 1 percent increase in penetration, it would have
a big impact because the country has a large number of citizens."
Mediacom, previously known as PT Bimantara Citra, is focused on media
and telecommunications.
The company has three subsidiaries - PT Media Nusantara Citra (MNC),
which owns several television stations and radio networks, PT Mobile-8,
which produces CDMA-based mobile phones (Fren), and PT MNC Sky Vision,
the owner of Indovision.
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