ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
After repeated delays, Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) is finally set to hold open bidding for Direct to Home (DTH) license auction on November 23, 2016, we have checked officially.
The Authority has received seven fresh applications for participation in the auction, bringing to total number of companies participating in DTH auction to sixteen. Previously nine companies had applied for DTH license auction.
PEMRA has said that it will auction three (3) licences for Direct-To-Home distribution service, provided that there are enough eligible applicants present in the auction.
PEMRA’s DTH Committee has already started to scrutinize applications received for DTH Licenses.
Seven new companies that applied for DTH auction include:
- Orient Electronics
- Mag Entertainment
- Skyfkix
- Start Times Communications Pakistan
- Vision Broadcast
- Link Dot Net Pakistan
- World Call Telecom
Earlier PEMRA had shortlisted 8 applicants companies for participation in the bidding for DTH Licensing include;
- Sardar Builders (Pvt.) Limited.
- Parus Media & Broadcast (Pvt.) Limited.
- Mastro Media Distribution (Pvt.) Limited.
- HB DTH (Pvt.) Limited.
- IQ Communications (Pvt.) Limited.
- Nayatel (Pvt.) Limited.
- Shahzad CGG (Pvt.) Limited.
- Sharif Feed Mills (Pvt.) Limited.
However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) later accepted the plea of “SMART SKY”, a subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), to be allowed to participate in the DTH Licenses bidding. Thus a total of 9 applicants were shortlisted earlier.
- Smart Sky
PEMRA said that the second phase of scrutiny of new applications will be completed soon.
PEMRA had previously planned to auction DTH licenses late last year, but whole process was scrapped when new PEMRA chairman was appointed just one week ahead of the auction.