Waiting for Thaicom: ETC puts teleport plans on hold

Sibabrata Das in Mumbai

ETC Networks has put its decision to set up a teleport in Mumbai on hold following the Singapore-based Thaicom’s plans to set up an uplinking facility in the country.

“If Thaicom sets up a teleport in India, we will hold back our decision. We will know within two weeks,” said ETC Networks managing director Jagjit Kohli.

ETC Networks, Mr Kohli said, was to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thaicom for transferring their clients to the proposed uplinking centre in Mumbai. But Thaicom’s plan to set up a teleport themselves has stopped them from signing the MoU, added Mr Kohli.

Since Thaicom intends to have majority control, it may not be allowed by the government to set up its own teleport.

Currently, a foreign company is barred from setting up a teleport in India. It is unclear at this stage if Thaicom is willing to be a minority stakeholder in a teleport venture.

ETC hopes to rope in third party channels that are currently uplinking from Thaicom. “The government is making it mandatory for broadcasters to uplink from India, with effect from April. This deadline, though, may be extended. But once uplinking from the country is compulsory, we have a good chance to get the channels who use Thaicom’s facilities,” Mr Kohli said. Thaicom uplinks several Indian channels. A majority of them are regional language channels like the Tara bouquet, ETC Punjabi and Music channels, Lashkara, Gurjari, CMM and Astha channel.

The problem for ETC, said Reminiscent India Television Ltd managing director Mr Subhash Menon, is that they will have to tap rival channels who are competing against them.

The two RITV channels, Lashkara and Gurjari, will prefer to be uplinked from an independent teleport operator. “We are in talks with STPI (Software Technology Parks of India). If Thaicom is available, we will prefer their services,” Mr Menon added.

ETC Networks, however, believes that with no uplinking facility available in Mumbai which can handle live and interactive events and provide quality, competing channels will be drawn in. Incidentally, VSNL does not have an uplinking infrastructure in Mumbai. ETC, which has land, has already invested partially in the equipment and conducted test runs. But with Thaicom expressing intent, ETC’s plans may be upset.