Beltelecom eager to buy digital content

        The Belarusian national telecom operator Beltelecom has put out a tender to buy rights to broadcast digital channels, rights to watching video materials, downloading audiobooks and digital books.
Legal persons and self-employed businessmen are invited to bid in the tender. The company will be taking offers from copyright holders till 22 January.
       It is likely that the company will offer legal audio and video content to its clients, who use Internet access services and interactive television services. Beltelecom launched a video portal for them in early 2012. By increasing the availability of heavy content (music, video, movies) inside the country, the national telecom operator may expect to economize on buying Internet access services from foreign ISPs. The company will buy legal content for digital readers. The move will allow Beltelecom to gain a footing in the less explored market segment.
      At present Russian Internet resources and services account for the bulk of Beltelecom’s traffic. Therefore, there are plans to create national content to appeal to Belarusian and foreign users. In particular, the subprogram Formation of National Content aims to do that. The subprogram is part of the national program for the accelerated development of information and communication technology services in 2011-2015.