Big TV introduces single dish antennae for multi-dwelling units

Big TV DTH has announced the launch of its multi-dwelling unit (MDU) installation service across India. The company says it is targeting a market share of 40 per cent in the MDU segment within the first year of operations.

The MDU is a customised DTH solution targeted to tap various sections of residential societies, commercial complexes, new townships where a single dish antenna can provide the DTH connection to multiple households. This circumvents the need for installing individual dish antennas for every household connection.

''MDUs are a natural extension of a DTH service. Our MDU service offers a perfect solution to residential complexes which are not too keen to have too many dish antennas peeking out of balconies and where the Line of Sight to the satellite is not very clear. As part of our marketing and sales strategy, the MDU service will help generate volumes in residential clusters,'' said Mahesh Prasad, president, Reliance Communications.

BIG TV will provide the MDU connection to the entire residential complex through a single large dish antenna linked to individual set top boxes  in various households within the premises.  The MDU dish size varies between 90cm and 120cm depending on the number of households it services. The cost of hardware will be borne by BIG TV. Each household participating in the scheme gets one set top box as a part of BIG TV's MDU scheme.

Despite the common dish antenna being installed, each household will have the freedom to choose their own channel package including the free regional pack offered with the inaugural channel pack. Subscribers will also have the option of opting for any of the various entry offers that are available for them to choose from.

BIG TV says it has set-up a dedicated pan-India network of 350 direct sales agents and 500 member installation teams to handle MDU business.