MANILA - Reliance Broadcasting Unlimited (RBU), an affiliate of Converge ICT, said it is can now broadcast free-to-air TV channels,  across the country via satellite.

RBU, which is based in Pampanga, said the National Telecommunications Commission has granted it a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV license. 

With this, it can now air stations such as GMA, GTV, All TV, PTV4, RPTV and 14 other ‘must carry’ channels across the country, even in remote areas. 

 "The DTH service will be powered by Korea’s satellite communications leader KT SAT, which provides satellite capacity and the latest technology," the company said in a statement. 

RBU said it will soon roll out set-top boxes for those interested in the service.

The company said it is also collaborating with various organizations to air public service announcements and education materials to all Filipinos from the northernmost provinces of Batanes and Ilocos to the southern Mindanao municipalities. 

“It has been a challenge to provide information to our people because the Philippines is an archipelago with over 7,000 islands. With RBU pivoting into a DTH operator, we’ll be able to do our share in giving access to crucial public information to more Filipinos as we try to reach every island in the country,” said RBU President, Atty. Frank Martin Abalos.

RBU said KT SAT's satellite resources cover more than 60 percent of the world's land area, and provide satellite communication services not only in Korea but also throughout the world, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Pakistan.

Abalos noted that the DTH service of RBU complements the fiber internet services of Converge ICT since RBU will be able to provide broadcasting services to remote areas that cannot be reached by fiber.