India has received its first solar satellite TV, courtesy of a pay-as-you-go product from Magic TV.
India is currently aggressively expanding their investment into solar power and renewable energy as a whole. They are setting new solar energy benchmarks almost every week, but this will be the first time a solar-powered satellite TV option is available in the country.
Magic TV is produced by Simpa Networks, and it has introduced their pay-as-you-go TV option to India. The fact that it is powered by solar energy is a game changer considering many of the country’s 300 million people still live without reliable electricity.
The solar TV package comes with a home-lighting system, a 20-inch LED television with access to 100+ channels, a battery, and solar charge controller. Customers have the ability to remotely control and monitor the solar panels. The pay as you go plan means that customers prepay for their energy service, about a month in advance. Once their prepaid time expires the electricity cuts off until they prepay for their next month’s service.
The total package costs about 390 dollars, a price which is beyond the reach of most poor energy-lacking rural households, but the company does offer a rent-to-own option. Customer payments will go towards the eventual purchase of the product, and when it is fully repaid their electricity becomes free of cost.
“We see a tremendous opportunity in rural areas where demand for energy is growing even faster than supply. Our strategy is completely aligned with the Government of India’s priorities for 24/7 power for all. Rooftop solar has a role to play in both off-grid and on-grid areas,” said Simpa Networks CEO, Piyush Mathur.
Simpa Networks currently offers a wide range of solar-powered products, and they are aiming to expand their market beyond the northern Indian state.
“We have already installed over 30,000 systems in 1000+ villages in eight districts of western Uttar Pradesh. Having demonstrated the commercial sustainability of the model, we will be embarking on a national roll out across UP, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam,” Mathur said in regards to the company’s future.
The product is the first of its kind in the region, so Simpa Networks has a unique opportunity to become a massive technological leader. The Indian subcontinent has about 1.75 billion people, meaning that the company is sitting on one of the largest possible markets for solar powered satellite TVs.
