DNA launches pay TV on terrestrial network

Finnish telco and pay TV provider DNA is launching pay TV services hitherto only available on cable on the country’s digital-terrestrial network.

DNA is providing SD and HD channels, including its Mix HD package, an eight-channel offering that can be tailored to the tastes of particular subscribers.

DNA is offering a selection of its pay services, already available on cable, free to new subscribers on the terrestrial network from Thursday until the end of August.

The operator plans to add Canal Plus channels to its terrestrial offering from September 1, and further pay channels are expected to be added later, once licensing decisions on two of the operator’s three multiplexes are taken.
DNA is also in negotiation with public broadcaster Yle to add its HD channel unencrypted on the network. Yle HD is already available on DNA’s cable network.

“Our goal is to provide truly high-quality services for both the cable and the terrestrial network, and we are extremely pleased with the terrestrial network pay TV offering launched today. Key components of high quality include subtitles in Finnish, Finnish programmes, and HDTV picture quality,” said Pekka Väisänen, vice-president, consumer business at DNA.

DNA’s terrestrial network currently covers about 50% of the Finnish population, and the operator expects this to reach 85% by the end of the year.