Macedonian ISP On.net Picks France's Viaccess To Provide Content Security for its Pay-TV Platforms

On.net owner Telekom Slovenije won a 10-year Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) licence in Macedonia in April, the Macedonian telecommunications regulator said earlier.

"On.net has plans to offer 50 TV programmes, 50 radio programmes and datacast including a 7-day EPG on four DVB-T multiplexes to all territories of Macedonia," Viaccess said in a statement posted on its website.

Viaccess (www.viaccess.com) added that On.net recently reported that its DTT trial, covering the capital of Skopje, was very successful.

“As we are aiming to be the main player of Pay TV in Macedonia. On.Net needs to be the pioneer in adopting the latest technology that is shaping the future of our industry,” On.net CEO Predrag Cemerikic was quoted as saying in the statement.

On.net (www.on.net.mk), the second largest broadband provider in Macedonia, had a market share of 16% at the end of the first half of 2009, with just over 32,000 users, which is 7 percentage points down on its share for the same period last year, although the number of users is up 3%, Telekom Slovenije said in its half-year financial report.

Macedonia's Agency for Electronic Communications said earlier that Telekom Slovenije should invest over 10 million euro ($14.2 million) to develop its own countrywide network for digital television broadcasting within a year and thus enable quality transmission of 30 television channels.

($=0.7033 euro)