Draft:Akash Digital TV

Akash Digital TV
Native name
আকাশ ডিজিটাল টিভি
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustrySatellite television
PredecessorRealVU
Founded2016; 8 years ago (2016) (Original RealVU)
19 May 2019; 5 years ago (2019-05-19) (Akash DTH)
Headquarters
Gulshan, Dhaka
,
Bangladesh
Area served
Bangladesh
ProductsDirect broadcast satellite
OwnerBEXIMCO
ParentBeximco Communications Limited
Websiteakashdth.com

Akash Digital TV or Akash DTH, formally incorporated as RealVU DTH, is the sole direct broadcast satellite television provider to households in Bangladesh,[1] operated by Beximco Communications Limited, and owned by parent company BEXIMCO.[2] It broadcasts multichannel TV services via satellite Bangabandhu-1. It also offers personal video recording (PVR) capabilities, and HD support.[3] Akash has monopoly in areas where cable providers can't reach.[4]

History

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In 2014, Bangladesh government gave license to operate digital service to RealVU (Now Akash Digital TV or Akash DTH) and Bengal Digital.[5]

RealVU DTH began broadcasting in 2016 on ABS-2 at 75 degrees east as a joint venture with GS group.[6][7][8][9] The owner of the provider is BEXIMCO via Beximco Communications Limited.[10][11] The early years of the company were unstable due to technical and financial difficulties. RealVU DTH failed to capture the market, and postponed it services within a years.

In 2017, GS group sold their share in Beximco Communications (holding company of RealVU and now Akash) but continued providing hardware and software for the service.[12]

In 2019, they came back with a rebranded name Akash DTH.[13][14][15]

From 2019, Akash DTH has been providing television services to customers using Bangladeshi satellite Bangabandhu-1.[16] The company broadcasts more than 120 television stations from around the world, along with exclusive Bangladeshi channels. In 2021, Akash DTH started offering its customers the first PVR in Bangladesh.[17] They also rebranded the name to Akash Digital TV.[18]

In July 2024, Akash Digital TV partnered with Tata Play.[19][20][21]

Financial situation

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The company got a fee waiver of ৳111.56M due to losses from May 2019 to 2020 on grounds of financial losses despite having a monopoly in the DTH market in Bangladesh.[22] But a spectrum charge waiver over the next five years was denied.

Marketing

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Customers of analog cable system were switching to digital cable system such as Bengal Digital, Jadoo Digital and DTH system such as Akash DTH for its superior picture quality.[23] While the market penetration remained low, the market share of Akash Digital TV was growing. Akash Digital TV used multiple types of marketing such as TV marketing, guerilla marketing, word of mouth and viral marketing.[24][25][26]

References

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  1. ^ "Akash Digital TV launches new DTH HD platform". New Age. 9 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Akash Digital TV launches new DTH HD platform". The Daily Star. 9 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Akash expands television network to former enclaves". The Business Standard. 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  4. ^ "Akash links rising in semi-urban, rural areas". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  5. ^ Rahman, Harisur (2020), Rahman, Harisur (ed.), "The Political Economy, Materiality and the Visceral Experience of Cable Television", Consuming Cultural Hegemony: Bollywood in Bangladesh, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 79–103, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31707-2_4, ISBN 978-3-030-31707-2, S2CID 213544139, retrieved 2022-02-11
  6. ^ "Bangladesh's First DTH Operator Shares Plans for Market". Via Satellite. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  7. ^ "GS Group launches Bangladesh's first DTH service". Digital TV Europe. 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  8. ^ david.nunes (2016-05-05). "GS Group launched the first DTH service in Bangladesh". Connect-World. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  9. ^ "Bilateral Relations - Embassy of the Russian Federation in the People's Republic of Bangladesh". bangladesh.mid.ru. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  10. ^ "GS Group launches first DTH service in Bangladesh". BroadbandTV News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  11. ^ "BEXIMCO - Taking Bangladesh to the World". beximco.com. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  12. ^ "GS Group completes project to create Bangladesh's first satellite pay-TV operator | Satellite | News | Rapid TV News". www.rapidtvnews.com. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  13. ^ "Beximco launches DTH service Akash". The Daily Star. 17 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Beximco Communications Launches Akash DTH". United News of Bangladesh. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Akash DTH slashes connection fee to hook housebound customers". 5 July 2020.
  16. ^ ডটকম, নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর. "বেক্সিমকোর ডিটিএইচ সেবায় বঙ্গবন্ধু স্যাটেলাইটের বাণিজ্যিক যাত্রা শুরু". Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  17. ^ "AKASH DTH introduces basic connection package". New Age. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Akash Digital TV launches MyAkash app". Dhaka Tribune. 14 Aug 2022.
  19. ^ "Tata Play takes its easy bingeing solution to Bangladesh". The Economic Times. 11 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Akash Digital TV launches new DTH HD platform & Akash Go Companion App featuring Hotstar Specials". The Business Standard. 9 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Akash launches DTH HD platform, companion app". businesspostbd.com. 9 July 2024.
  22. ^ Hossain, Ismail. "Akash DTH to get spectrum charge waiver of Tk 111.56m". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  23. ^ Khan, Israt Moriom; Quadir, Sabrina; Islam, Sanjida (2021-11-19). "Anticipation & Advancement of DTH Service in Bangladesh". European Journal of Business and Management Research. 6 (6): 53–58. doi:10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.6.1150. ISSN 2507-1076. S2CID 244483396.
  24. ^ Banu, Saira; Tasnim, Jarin (2020-06-01). "Entrepreneurial Marketing in Direct to Home (DTH) Service: The Case of AKASH in Bangladesh". Jahangirnagar University Journal of Management Research. 3: 61–73.
  25. ^ "Akash Go companion app will certainly contribute to entertainment need of Bangladeshi people: State Minister Arafat". United News of Bangladesh. 9 July 2024.
  26. ^ "With one AKASH…". The Business Standard. 6 June 2021.