Russia’s leading pay-TV operator Tricolor TV has launched a new satellite-based service in partnership with Eutelsat.
Known as Territoria Tricolor, it gives consumers in hotels, airports, railway stations and other public venues free WiFi access to TV channels on their mobile devices without consuming their mobile data allowance. Operators of public venues will be able to organise free access to an offer of 50 Tricolor TV channels.
The service is also available to owners of cafés, medical surgeries, petrol stations and other commercial outlets.
To access Territoria Tricolor, end-users can install the Smotri TV mobile app available free from the Apple App Store or Google Play and connect to a WiFi network signed up for the service and labelling its availability. Territoria Tricolor is available for R1,500 (€21.4) a month for enterprise customers in the footprint of the Eutelsat 36C satellite, which covers the European part of Russia.
The service is based on Eutelsat’s SmartBEAM technology and uses a gateway designed and built by Neotion to broadcast channels by satellite to mobile devices via a local Wi-Fi network.
Commenting on Territoria Tricolor, Alexey Karpov, deputy CEO in charge of linear TV development at Tricolor TV, said: “Together with our partners – including Eutelsat, Europe’s leading satellite company – we have created a service with Tricolor Territoria that responds to the interests of enterprises and their customers. Our new service is for organisations and businesses that want to get closer to their customers and strengthen loyalty. With our mobile app, users will be able to choose from dozens of the most popular channels for free, enhancing time spent in public areas and retail outlets.”
Michel Azibert, chief commercial and development officer at Eutelsat, added: “Thanks to our partnership with Tricolor TV, viewers in Russia will benefit from a high-technology service based on our SmartBEAM solution. The launch of Territoria Tricolor illustrates the increasing role satellites are playing in improving OTT offers and the potential to significantly enhance the viewing experience on mobile devices.”
