Nigerias National Broadcasting Commission has launched a new TV service, Free TV, in partnership with Inview, a UK-based digital TV software company. Free TV’s launch in Abuja is the second phase of the roll out, which began with Nigerian city Jos. Free TV will eventually be available to over 20 million homes and 150 million individuals. Inview is providing the […]
Nigerias National Broadcasting Commission has launched a new TV service, Free TV, in partnership with Inview, a UK-based digital TV software company. Free TV’s launch in Abuja is the second phase of the roll out, which began with Nigerian city Jos.
Free TV will eventually be available to over 20 million homes and 150 million individuals.
Inview is providing the software and technical capability inside the Free TV set-top boxes, which are the cornerstone of the new service. Inview will also operate the EPG and a range of broadcasting applications such as news, public service information, advertising and video on demand.
Nigeria will be adopting a model based on the UKs Freeview which means customers will only pay for a subsidised set-top box that will cost in the region of $7 and a TV licence fee of approximately $5 a year, instead of paying a monthly subscription fee. There will also be a pay TV option for an additional cost.
As well as providing consumers with a broader range of high-quality TV, including 30 channels with digital quality picture and sound, the new digital TV service will help to underpin growth and job creation in the manufacturing, advertising and TV production industries. All the set-top boxes and associated technology will be built in Nigeria and the new service is expected to drive demand for locally-produced content.
