Hungary’s Digi and Magyar Telekom have been accused of not providing adequate protection for their pay-TV services.
As a result, reports Media1, around 130 TV channels in Digi’s offer and almost 40 in Telekom’s are available free of charge in some population centres.
It adds that it has received a letter sent at the end of February by Ryszka Sambor, the president of the Association of Hungarian Electronic Communication Broadcasters (MEME) to Gabriella Kövesi of the Communications Interest Reconciliation Council (HÉT) outlining this problem. The letter reveals that users only need to connect a device called a mini node to the fibre optic network, thereby allowing TV channels to be received by those who have only paid an internet subscription.
In a letter, the president of MEME warns HÉT about the problem that copyright and related rights to TV channels and their broadcasts are being infringed and may have a distortive effect on the market.
This is because other cable providers, which spend significant sums on the protection of their cable network and the purchase of encryption equipment, are at a competitive disadvantage compared to the company concerned.
