Astro Bhd decided to up its fees from RM20 to RM25, the first time it has done so since the service was introduced in 2009.
Following this development, East Malaysia Regional Manager Alison Lau on Thursday revealed that ten new HD channels will be added for subscription and will be available from Nov 16.
They are Fox Family Movies HD (CH 434), Fox Action Movies HD (CH430), Hits HD (CH720), FYI HD (CH 736), Astro AEC HD (CH 306), Astro Shuang Xing HD (CH 307), Diva HD (CH 723) and FOX HD (CH 724).
"The number of HD channels on Astro started with four in 2009 and has grown to 40. With the eight new HD channels, the total number will come to 48," she told reporters, here.
She denied the new fee is related to the implementation of the six per cent Goods and Services Tax but largely because Astro had never revised the fee before.
Towards this end, a free preview of the new HD and Standard Definition channels will begin from Nov 16 to end of February next year.
With the introduction of the 10 new channels, subscribers will have the choice of over 180 channels that are offered within a variety of packages.
On another note, Lau is confident that Astro will maintain its position in the market despite upcoming competition from cable television.
She said satellite television remains a viable platform compared to cable in terms of coverage, especially in areas where cables have not been installed.
"The advantage of satellite is that it still can reach blind spots, like over hills and far flung areas, apart from being much cheaper than the cost of installing cables to reach customers," she said.
In terms of payment, Lau pointed out that Astro bill payments can also be done from 500 BSN agents across Sabah and from any e-pay outlets like 7-eleven, apart from online banking, post offices and Astro outlets.
Astro currently holds a 65 per cent market share in East Malaysia with about 16 million viewers nationwide.
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