Brazil’s NET Serviços selects Pace to deliver new HD set-top-box
July 20 2009
NET Serviços de Comunicação S.A. (Bovespa: NETC3 and NETC4; NASDAQ: NETC; and Latibex: XNET), Latin America’s largest multi-service cable company, has selected Pace to deliver a new high definition (HD) capable set-top-box as part of its ongoing push towards a fully HD, digitised customer base.
The low environmental impact (LEI) box uses Nagra and Open TV middleware to deliver content securely over the cable network and has been designed within the framework of Pace’s own ‘Design for Environment’ standard. It will comply with the EU Code of Conduct and EnergyStar guidelines for environmental production and operational energy consumption in the home.
Márcio Carvalho, products and services director at NET said: ”The Brazilian pay-TV market is rapidly developing and the provision of high-definition content is increasingly becoming a service expectation in this part of the world as the market matures. This new deployment will dramatically increase our HD content reach and provides us with a platform to introduce additional entertainment services for subscribers. This means we can deliver an enhanced service to drive subscriber adoption and value for NET and our customers”.
NET Serviços’ integrated services include Pay TV (“NET”), Digital Video (“NET Digital”), High Definition Digital Video (“NET Digital HD”), high definition DVR (“NET Digital HD Max), bi-directional broadband internet access (“NET Vírtua”) and voice (“NET Fone”). Pace has previously worked with NET, providing an SD capable box to millions of consumers across Brazil. This latest deployment will be NET’s next significant box rollout as the company moves towards a premium offer for its subscribers.
Hervé Matthieu, VP sales at Pace said, “NET has the greatest reach of any cable operator in this market and the deployment of our HD-capable set top is a landmark step forward in driving HD penetration in the region. This new STB will improve NET’s ability to deliver new and innovative services to its subscribers, allowing them to take full advantage of the best that TV today can offer. We’re delighted to have been selected ahead of our competitors and we look forward to our continued partnership with NET in the future.”
Note to editors
Pace’s ‘Design for Environment’ initiative to build low environmental impact STBs across its entire product portfolio is based around three key areas:
- Power consumption – the hardware design of every Pace product from this point onwards will comply with or exceed the EU Code of Conduct, EnergyStar and MEPS guidelines1. In regions where no guidelines exist, Pace will apply the closest guidelines to these areas2.
- Pace will work with its key partners to drive compliance across all aspects of the final product, including software. Packaging – all materials used in the packaging of Pace products will be 100% recyclable. Pace is setting a minimum standard of 50% of all materials used in packaging to be sourced from recycled materials.
- Hazardous substances – Pace is going beyond current legislation with its own extensive ‘Restricted Substances’ list. Pace will phase out these additional hazardous substances from all future products going forwards.
- EU Code of Conduct applies to all products sold in the European Union. EnergyStar relates to all products sold in the United States. MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standard) applies to products sold in Australia and New Zealand.
- For information on these guidelines visit
- http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/energyefficiency/html/standby_initiative_digital%20tv%20services.htm
- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=revisions.settop_box_spec
- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dta.pr_dta
- http://www.energyrating.gov.au/considered.html#electronics
About Pace plc
Pace plc (LSE:PIC) is a leading technology developer for the global payTV industry, working across satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. Pace has one of the world's most experienced specialist engineering teams, developing intelligent and innovative products and services for both payTV operators and retail markets across the world.
Following the acquisition of the set-top box and connectivity solutions business of Royal Philips Electronics in April 2008, Pace employs over 900 people in locations around the world, including France, the USA, India and Hong Kong. Pace's international headquarters are in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, UK. For more information on Pace, please visit www.pace.com.
About NET Serviços
NET Serviços is Latin America’s largest multi-service cable company, offering pay TV, broadband internet access and voice services through a single cable. With a 50% share of the pay TV market and a 22% share of the broadband segment, NET Serviços’ network provides services to more than 10 million homes in 93 cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Manaus, Brasília and Goiânia. Currently, NET is leading the brazilian market (net add´s) for each of the markets, pay TV, broadband and fixed telephone. NET is the fastest growing company in all tree markets in Brazil.
