The Magic of purchasing SportsMax as a content provider for their Caribbean-Wide Fiber Optic Network as reported in Digicel Cable and Submarine Fiber Optic Acquisitions point to 4G LTE based Caribbean Streaming TV is finally paying off for Digicel.
They’ve recently signed a five (5) year license to broadcast the NBA (National Basketball Association) Basketball Games on their newly minted Caribbean-wide Cable Network, Digicel SportsMax, which they’d created from the acquisition of Sportsmax in September of 2014.
Announced during a Press Launch held on Wednesday April 1st 2015 at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston, the deal will see subscribers to Digicel SportsMax getting access to the following content:
- 48 NBA regular seasons
- 8 play-off games
- NBA Action
- NBA TV
Aside from 24-hour access to their vintage reel of NBA games on NBA TV, the partnership will see Digicel Sportsmax broadcasting the NBA Games in Spanish on their CDN SportsMax channel in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is one of thirty (30) lucky Caribbean islands to enjoy the NBA on their Big screens:
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bonaire
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- CuraÁao
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Montserrat
- St Lucia
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Martin
- St Maarten
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos
This means that if you live in any of these islands and you’re a subscriber with any of the Cable Providers that Digicel had purchased during their buying spree since 2013 as detailed in Digicel acquires Trinidad and Tobago Cable TV License as Caribbean Fiber Optic Network Expands, you can watch the NBA Games!
So does this deal inked on April Fool’s day signal anything special? Yes it does, as it may be a herald for Digicel’s 4G LTE as well as FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Ambitions in the Caribbean!
Digicel SportsMax and 4G LTE – A Powderkeg primed for Sports-crazed Caribbean People
Digicel, via this deal, is now the exclusive Telecoms Partner for possibly the greatest sporting event aside from FIFA World Cup, Reggae Boy and Caribbean Football Competitions and Local and International Football, Cricket and Athletics competitions.
At this point, if you’re a true NBA Fan, you could ditch FLOW Cable TV and just watch Digicel Sportsmax and Television Jamaica, who also had inked a ten (10) year sport deal with SportsMax inked back in August 2012 for the above programming from SportsMax.
CVM Tv only gets the crumbs. Sad sideways smile, tear face!
Digicel is certain to launch 4G LTE, having acquired the 700 MHz License in Jamaica as well as in some of the above-mentioned Caribbean Territories. But what has me curious is this unanswered burning question; with this much Sports content, when will Digicel be launching their FTTH (Fiber to the Home), most likely offered as part of an upgraded Telstar Cable FTTH Packages as I’d predicted?
Sierra FOT’s spotted installing Fiber Optic Cables – Digicel FTTH would leave FLOW in the Dust
Already, I’ve see FOT’s (Fiber Optic Technicians) from Contractor Sierra Wireless installing Fiber Optic Cable Trays on light posts in the New Kingston area. This is close to where I live in the Swallowfield Community, near to the National Stadium sandwiched between Arthur Wint Drive and Mountain View Drive in the middle of what’s referred to as the Golden Triangle.
This would be a separate Fiber Optic Network from the one being installed to power their 4G LTE Network and interconnect their Cable TV acquisitions across the Caribbean and may be used to provide Broadband Internet Services for BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) aka Call Centers in Jamaica, which are springing up like mushrooms.
Digicel’s 4G LTE Network might be launched sometime in December 2015 in anticipation of LIME’s AWS (Advanced Wireless Service) based 4G LTE Network, which is also rumored to launch in the same month.
But if Digicel launches their FTTH as part of upgraded Cable packages for SportsMax Cable Network ahead of LIME, then Digicel could deal a serious blow to LIME’s Landline based ADSL Network and FLOW Broadband Internet ambitions by becoming the first Telecom Provider to launch FTTH in Jamaica, both commercially as well as for Residential customers.
LIME have been testing their FTTH Network since 2011 in the upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine, but still shows no signs of launching this super-fast service to the public.
CWC’s purchase and rebranding of FLOW as laid out in LIME Jamaica Goes with the FLOW thanks to Caribbean-wide Survey would have thus been for naught, as they’d not be able to compete with Digicel FTTH Network.
Digicel FTTH, which may be launched at the same time as their Digicel 4G LTE Network, would be capable of doing HD Audio Voice Calling, Data speeds as high as 20 to 50 MBps and also carry their Digicel SportsMax Cable Channels.
If you had that in your house coming up to the Olympics, dear Reader and Sports aficionado reading this article come World Cup 2016, would you not technically be in Sports Heaven?