THURSDAY, 5.30PM:
AN American telecommunications company has announced that Africa — and South Africa in particular — will be first in the world to have access to a satellite service beamed down to portable receivers no bigger than a small radio.
The US company, WorldSpace, announced on Thursday that it has raised R4,14 billion for a venture to bring digital quality television from such sources as CNN and the BBC to Africa and the Middle East.
About a million of the receivers will go on sale in Africa late next year, at a cost of R1 000 each. The company says it has already held talks with the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Independent Broadcasting Authority about licencing and legal considerations. Some R80 million has been earmarked for marketing in South Africa alone.
The satellite service appears to be capable of delivering Internet-quality text and pictures, and can provide specialist services to individual customers. Five percent of the channels will be ‘donated’ to a charitable foundation for use in education, development and public service information.
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