| PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has shelved plans to venture into direct-to-home (DTH) television satellite business, citing uncertain profitability.
PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan said in an interview, “There will be losses, at least in the first two years of operation.”
The PLDT group is not also keen on offering this year IPTV (Internet protocol TV) where a digital content is sent to subscribers through a broadband connection.
“Not this year. We need a very good infrastructure. There is a technical evaluation going on,” said Pangilinan.
But PLDT is sure to commercially launch mobile TV in the second half of the year.
Smart Communications Inc. in partnership with Nation Broadcasting Corp. has already begun its mobile TV test broadcast, offering nine channels including CNN, BBC World, CNBC, Basketball TV, Jack TV, Fashion TV and MTV.
Pangilinan said in February this year that the PLDT group has not abandoned plans to acquire GV Broadcasting Systems, Inc., a licensed DTH operator.
Before PLDT could offer DTH satellite service, it should first secure a license. “We might still proceed with GV because they have the broadcast license,” he said earlier.
PLDT, through its wholly-owned subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings Inc., was supposed to acquire GV last year.
GV, in a filing with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Wednesday, said it would post P4.37 billion gross revenues over five years for a plan to offer satellite mobile broadcasting, a TV and radio service using mobile devices as the receiver.
The technology allows users to watch TV and listen to radio through portable and handled devices such as the cellular phone, personal digital assistant, pocket PC and others with built-in receivers or external attachments and use it wherever they want.
On the first year of implementation, GV’s gross revenues will amount to P57 million, significantly increasing to P339,150,000 in the second year, P607,191,000 in the third, P1,289,331,000 in the fourth and P2,079,864,000 in the fifth year.
The estimated number of subscribers will reach 693,288 during the five-year period.
Target customers of this service are mobile phone users whose handsets are 3G (third-generation)-capable.
The service shall initially be made available to all cellphone subscribers in Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan.
On the sixth year of operations, the entire country shall be covered by the service, GV said.
Initially, GV will spend P8.52 billion to jumpstart its satellite mobile TV project.
Minus expenses and provision for taxes, GV will post a net income of P9,39 million in the first year; P81.20 million in the second; P160.88 million in the third; P352.43 million in the fourth; and P593.48 million in the fifth year.
--L. Lectura | 
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