Interested parties have until 15 August to apply to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for the 15-year DTH operator’s licence. The application must be submitted along with a non-refundable demand draft or pay order of PKR 500,000 (US$7,405).

Shortlisted companies will be announced on 19 September. PEMRA will then invite them to participate in the bidding process, and a final decision will be made in October.

A pre-bid conference will be held on 18 July. Application forms, eligibility details and conditions of the satellite TV operator’s licence are available from PEMRA.

Those companies who applied for a licence in response to PEMRA’s request last September have already been shortlisted, and do not need to re-apply. They will, however, be required to submit relevant documents to participate in the bidding process.

The roll-out of DTH services in the country will boost the broadcast sector and help in content creation. Expansion of native digital TV services would also help in controlling illegal TV transmission from neighbouring countries, PEMRA officials told The News International.