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Kenya’s largest mobile operator Safaricom will on Thursday, May 7th, 2015 announce its Full Year Results for 2014/15 at the Michael Joseph Centre as well as launch its BOX service in partnership with Radio Africa’s BambaTV according to people familiar with the deal.
Safaricom aims to use the BOX for majorly data services while TV content will be left to BambaTV according to the sources. The firm has been announcing this development for years and has already applied for a digital broadcasting licence. Seems BambaTV partnership will help Safaricom launch its Internet to the home then later after the licence, acquire its own content rights from wherever it wants as the firm has enough resources to so so.
The supposedly $50 Android-powered box will run Internet from Safaricom while its partners will provide FTA’s and other premium content inthe country. Zuku is already working to push its basic triple play services and is engaging several media house for campaigns to dim Safariom’s launch according to the sources.
Able Wireless has had bits of challenges to launch a similar service in Kenya but had signed up content providers and Internet service providers as partners already. TechMoran thinks Safaricom’s BOX will be outshine all the rest due to reach. Zuku Triple Play only reaches a few neighbourhoods in Nairobi and Mombasa and other towns and even if it has expanded into East Africa, having a new business accumulate critical mass in your home is dangerous to any business.
The three media houses would have launched their service months ago but have turned to legalities to kill the whole digital migration move making it even impossible for the Communications Authority to impliment the rest of the phases as earlier announced. A Safaricom entry is both something they can take advantage or fear and run away. They have content,they just need a technology and Internet partner.
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