Cignal (pronounced as ''signal'') is a Philippine
satellite television
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...
and
IPTV provider, owned by
Cignal TV Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the
MediaQuest Holdings Inc. under the
PLDT
PLDT, Inc., formerly known as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company ( fil, Kompanya ng Teleponong Pangmalayuan ng Pilipinas), is a Philippine telecommunications, internet and digital service holdings company. It is one of the country's ...
Beneficial Trust Fund.
Cignal's prepaid electronic loading system is powered by
Smart Communications Inc. Cignal uses
VideoGuard encryption system to protect its content from signal piracy. It uses the
SES-7
SES-7 (also formerly known as ProtoStar-2 / Indostar-2) is a commercial communications satellite operated by SES World Skies, then SES S.A.
Spacecraft
ProtoStar-2 is a geosynchronous communications satellite built by Boeing. It is a BSS-60 ...
satellite to provide optimal coverage directly to the target markets.
History
Prior to the launch, the PLDT group had already intended to establish its own satellite television service after its media arm MediaQuest Holdings sold its stake in Beyond Cable Holdings to the
Lopez Group, and a failed attempt on the acquisition of Philippine Multimedia Systems, Inc. (PMSI, owner of
Dream Satellite TV) from businessman and then-PLDT chairman Antonio "Tonyboy" O. Cojuangco.
Using the satellite broadcasting franchise of Mediascape (formerly GV Broadcasting System), the new service was named Cignal and formally began its operations on February 1, 2009. PLDT spent PH₱1 billion for the rollout of the service.
During its first years, Cignal transmitted its broadcast with over 20 SD channels and HD channels via
NSS-11 satellite transponder service.
In 2015, Cignal had reached 1 million subscribers.
Satellite transponder transmission
From 2009, Cignal broadcasts on NSS-11 satellite transponder service. But since 2012, Cignal utilizes additional broadcast on the SES-7 transponder service.
Competition
At present, Cignal competes in the DTH service against
Global Satellite Technology Services'
G Sat, formerly
Sky Cable Corporation's
Sky Direct
Sky Direct was a direct-broadcast satellite subscription television service in the Philippines owned and operated by Sky, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. Sky Cable had been eyeing for a DBS service and considered on acquiring Dream Satellite TV from A ...
was their competitor but was decommissioned on June 30, 2020, via alias cease-and-desist order.
Sports teams
*
Cignal HD Spikers (women's volleyball team)
*
Cignal HD Spikers (men's volleyball team)
* Cignal-
Ateneo (formerly Cignal HD Hawkeyes) (
PBA D-League
The PBA Developmental League, or PBA D-League, is the Philippine Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization.
History
The PBA D-League was conceptualized after the collapse of the proposed merger between the Philip ...
)
* Cignal Ultra (
Esports team)
See also
*
PLDT
PLDT, Inc., formerly known as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company ( fil, Kompanya ng Teleponong Pangmalayuan ng Pilipinas), is a Philippine telecommunications, internet and digital service holdings company. It is one of the country's ...
*
Smart Communications Inc.
*
Sky Cable
*
Home Cable (defunct)
*
Sky Direct
Sky Direct was a direct-broadcast satellite subscription television service in the Philippines owned and operated by Sky, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. Sky Cable had been eyeing for a DBS service and considered on acquiring Dream Satellite TV from A ...
(defunct)
*
MediaQuest Holdings
MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. is a Philippine-based media conglomerate that provides radio and television broadcasting, as well as direct-to-home satellite services and print media. Though an affiliate of telecommunications company PLDT, MediaQ ...
*
DirecTV
*
Destiny Cable
*
G Sat
References
MediaQuest Holdings
Cignal TV
High-definition television
Direct broadcast satellite services
Telecommunications companies established in 2009
Mass media companies established in 2009
Television in the Philippines
Philippine companies established in 2009
{{telecom-company-stub