One of the biggest issues currently concerning Hungary’s cable industry is the superfast internet project, according to Ferenc Kéry, the president of the Hungarian Cable Association (MKSZ).
The project is designed to ensure that all households in the country have access to internet of at least 30 Mbps, and Ákos Kara, the state secretary, ministry of national development, confirmed at Media Platform 2015 that the objective would be met by the end of 2018, or two years earlier than the deadline set by the EU.
Speaking to Broadband TV News, Kéry, said that as part of the project there would be two tenders taking place between now and the end of the year to ensure that rural areas, even the smallest villages, get such internet access.
The biggest issue was that if any cable operator missed the deadline there would be no second chance to offer internet services to the combined total of (just over 400,000) homes covered by the two tenders.
Commenting on consolidation in the Hungarian cable market, Kéry said that the process remains very slow.
However, around 50 operators have teamed up to form what is called the National Programmers’ Cluster, while a similar number have joined ITV, an affiliate of Digi.
The latter now have exactly the same channel line-up as RCS&RDS owned Digi.
