MDA Grants Licenses to Broadband, VOD Providers

SINGAPORE, August 28: The
Media Development Authority of Singapore has granted licenses to Reeltime Media
and OBSTV Asia to begin offering their broadband platforms in the island
nation.

Reeltime Media, an
Australian broadband TV service provider, has been awarded a five-year video-on-demand
license for Singapore. It plans to offer a selection of major studio movie
titles, TV shows, and art-house and foreign films by this December. Singapore
will be the first market outside of Australia to receive the ReelTime.tv
service. “With more than 600,000 residential high-speed broadband connections,
and fewer download restrictions than Australia, Singapore is an ideal market
for ReelTime.tv,” said John Karantzis, ReelTime’s MD. “Singaporeans are also
known to be early adopters of technology and new media services, and are avid
consumers of movies. All these augur well for our business expansion here and
into the region.”

The Singapore-based OBSTV
Asia has received a six-month IPTV trial license. The platform aims to offer up
a range of channels from Korea and Japan. Following the trial, OBSTV Asia plans
to use Singapore as a launch pad to offer its IPTV services to other Asian and
international markets.

Ling Pek Ling, MDA’s
director of media policy, noted, “We are happy to see the entry of new service
providers who can inject vibrancy into the Singapore media market and offer
greater consumer choice. We will continue to facilitate the entry of new
players through pro-business policies and a conducive environment.”