NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Press Release:

NOIDA, India — June 7, 2017 — Simpa Networks, a leader in providing affordable solar power to households and businesses in rural India, today announced the launch of Magic TV, the country’s first solar-powered Pay-as-you-Go (PAYG) satellite TV solution.

Simpa Magic TV includes 100+ free-to-air satellite TV channels, providing hours of
entertainment, news, educational content and more. The system includes a 20” energy efficient LED television, a powerful battery, advanced solar charge controller and three bright LED lights for multi-room lighting. The entire system is powered with an 80W panel, properly installed and mounted on the customer’s roof by a Simpa trained rural solar technician.

Purchased new, the home lighting and satellite TV system retails for INR 25,000 (USD 390).

Ordinarily, such technology and benefits would be unaffordable for the energy-poor rural households that Simpa aims to serve. Simpa therefore offers point-of-sale financing options to the customer, allowing them to purchase the system over time on either 12, 24 or 36 month financing.

Simpa is pioneering the use of SmartPanel technology, which enables remote monitoring and control of the solar panel itself. Customers prepay for energy service, typically 30 days in advance. The SmartPanel delivers power every day until the prepaid credits expire. Then the customer must recharge or prepay for the next month’s service.

“We see a tremendous opportunity in rural areas where demand for energy is growing even faster than supply. Our strategy is completely aligned with the Government of India’s priorities for 24/7 power for all”, said Piyush Mathur, Simpa Network CEO. “Rooftop solar has a role to play in both off-grid and on-grid areas. In many cases it’s the fastest and least expensive way to get power into the homes and businesses in rural areas. Having demonstrated the commercial sustainability of the model, we now plan to take Magic TV and our other offerings to districts across UP, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam”

Images courtesy of Simpa Networks.