Bharti Telemedia, the DTH license holder company of Bharti Airtel, is likely to soft launch its direct-to-home service in the first week of October.

According to sources, the company is hoping to get an FIPB approval before the launch, which is slated to launch DTH services on October 8. However, the company will officially launch its DTH service by the end of this year.

Official sources quoted that the company is in the final stages of closing its interconnection deals with various broadcasters. Recently, Sun Network and Reliance's Big TV have forayed into the DTH business space, where their competitors i. e. Tata Sky and Dish TV have already engaged in tough battle in search of more businesses. The prices have also been decreased. Some operators are providing additional months on longer renewal times.

Industry figures indicate that DTH business is likely to cover around 1.5 crore subscribers by the next four years (2011), and the market is projected to develop from US$ 1.5 to 3.5 billion.

But with the entry of new operators in DTH business, subscribers can expect availability of services at even cheaper rates in coming days, compared to latest tariff plan.