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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Firm unveils digital solar-powered TV

Business

By Patrick Alushula | Feb 18, 2016

M-KOPA Chief Executive Officer Jesse Moore serves tea to Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore (left) shortly after they launched M-KOPA solar-powered digital flat screen TV in Nairobi on Wednesday, February 17 2016. PHOTO DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD

Pay-per-use solar energy provider M-Kopa has unveiled a solar-powered digital television to tap into customers who are not connected to the power grid.

The 16-inch screen TV, which comes with a radio, torch, two lights, phone charger and a 20 watt solar panel will see customers access up to 26 digital stations for free once they have made a deposit payment. Launching the product yesterday, M-Kopa CEO Jesse Moore said the TV will still have an option of pay-as-you-use model as it has been with the previous products.

For new customers who would want to acquire the set at once, it will cost them Sh45,000. Those wishing to pay over time will have to remit Sh125 every day for a period of a year once they have paid Sh7,999. However, for existing customers who already acquired the solar panel, lights and other accessories that were offered under M-kopa payment plan, the company will upgrade them to the M-Kopa plus TV model.

Under this arrangement, the customers will be given the 20-watt solar panel and the TV after making a deposit of Sh3,500. This will then be followed by Sh36,500 payable at a rate of Sh50 per day for two years.

“Currently, owning a TV is a multiple-cost proposition. The real cost of TV is currently high due to other costs such as that of decoder and monthly subscription. But with M-Kopa TV, the inbuilt decoder will enable customers to access up to 26 channels without pay,” said Moore.

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With government still on an aggressive plan to bring more Kenyans to the grid, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, who also graced the event, downplayed the fear that the plan might hurt the attractiveness of the solar TV.

“We will always have at least 25 per cent of Kenyans off the grid no matter how far the Government connects,” said Collymore.