Multi-choice Seychelles and Airtel Seychelles team up to offer DStv via fibre optic cable

This system will allow DStv subscribers to simply connect their decoders to an Airtel modem. (Airtel Seychelles) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Multi-choice Seychelles and Airtel Seychelles signed an agreement on Friday that enables DStv (Digital Satellite Television) to be provided to clients via fibre optic cable, rather than the current satellite dish.

Multi-choice Seychelles, who are the providers of DStv - an African service - in the country, is looking to be able to reach a larger clientele with this agreement, where its managing director, Joel Morgan, explained that by eliminating the need to purchase the expensive satellite dish, the service will be more affordable and, therefore, reach more people.

This system will allow DStv subscribers to simply connect their decoders to an Airtel modem, which in turn is connected to a fibre optic cable, thus making the service more reliable, especially during rainy weather conditions, where the signal is often affected.

"This partnership with Airtel, brings us to a new dimension and also gives Airtel the option to now be able to offer all three services to Seychelles now, which is telephone, internet and now television. So, it benefits both companies," said Morgan, during the agreement's signing ceremony at Airtel House, Perseverance.

The service is in the testing phase at the moment, according to Morgan, and all the needed equipment required is arriving in the near future, which means the new service will soon be available to the public.

Homes currently connected to a satellite dish for DStv, will now move to fibre optic, meaning they will have a dish that is not being used at their homes.

Here, Morgan explained that since there are areas in the country that are not connected to the fibre optic cable, they could buy-back the satellite dishes from existing users, which can then be installed in those areas.

DStv currently provides around 165 channels, across various packages, with the smallest package costing $15, and the biggest package at $94.

The managing director of Airtel Seychelles, Eddy Kapuku, says that Airtel has always put the needs of its customers at the forefront of its business, and so having been asked to bring a television service to its clients, they are now able to give the clients another choice.

At the moment, the only two other cable TV service providers in Seychelles are Intelvision and Cable and Wireless Seychelles (CWS) TV.

"The customers deserve better quality content, and we know with the current options on the market today, have some limitations in terms of content they can provide and so that is why we have partnered with DStv," said Kapuku.

He added that this partnership will help make the service more affordable and at the same time contribute in lowering the cost of living in Seychelles.

He also explained that in order to get DStv via the Airtel fibre, customers will need to have an Airtel home broadband internet package first.

At the moment, Airtel's home broadband package costs between SCR499 ($33.6) for 20GB, which is the smallest package, and SCR3,299 ($247.5) for a 250GB package.

People will be able to register and make payments both for the DStv service and Airtel services at both companies, as part of the agreement.