GTA launches new streaming service:  GTA TV, ‘You seriously won’t miss a thing’

BY PAULY SUBA
Journal Staff

GTA has officially launched GTA TV, a new live TV streaming platform designed to give customers more flexibility, control, and convenience in how they watch television.

The new service replaces GTA’s legacy TV system and allows viewers to stream live and on-demand content on their own terms. GTA TV is available on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and popular devices like Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Firestick.

“This is going to be a transformative experience,” said Andrew Gale, COO of GTA at a media event Thurs. April 3, at the GTA Tamuning Experience Center.

“We need to fulfill the need for speed. That’s what’s going on today. AI, more video, more online content,” Gayle said. “I was just listening to a podcast that talked about the invention of the iPhone. Seventeen years ago, and it really has transformed content and the requirements for a telecommunications company to build out the network.”

“Back in those days, Steve Jobs was criticized by the big wireless carriers. They said, hey, look, your phone is causing problems with our network. It requires too much bandwidth. And he said, fix your network!”

GTA was the first in Guam to offer the Apple iPhone 3GS in 2009. “If you think about U.S. domestic telecommunications carriers, we were the second one,” Gayle said. “We had the iPhone before Verizon, before T-Mobile, before Sprint.”

GTA TV offers features such as Cloud DVR with up to 300 hours of storage, the ability to stream on up to 10 devices, and high-definition streaming at no additional cost. Viewers can also pause or restart live programming and use a 72-hour lookback feature to rewatch recent shows.

“It’s about experiencing entertainment on your own terms,” said Brian Mochida, TV product specialist at GTA. “Let’s say I need to grab a snack. I can always pause the TV now. You seriously won’t ever miss a moment.”

Customers can choose from three packages — Lite ($50/month), Plus ($105/month), and Max ($120/month) — with optional international add-ons including Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese channels.

“This opportunity to launch a new platform gave us a chance to look at our TV packages and see what our customers are watching,” said Jon Nate Denight, VP of product and marketing of GTA. “Now, if someone mainly watches international channels like TFC, they don’t have to buy a top-tier package just to get that one channel. They can add it to a smaller plan.”

Gayle said the launch is part of GTA’s long-term plan to modernize its network to meet rising demands for connectivity and data-heavy applications.

“AI is really what’s driving that growth. Nobody Googles anymore. You ChatGPT it,” Gayle said. “So we’re pushing fiber deeper into neighborhoods, from Dededo to the entire south. Thanks to a USDA grant, we’ll be fibering 100% of homes in the south by 2027.”

He also shared that GTA has rolled out AirFiber, a fixed wireless service offering speeds of up to 500 megabits per second. “AirFiber is a fiber-to-the-home product really designed to give that next generation of speeds to our customers where we haven’t got fiber yet,” he said.

To support mobile use, GTA continues expanding its 5G network. “We just installed a site on top of the airport,” Gayle said. “We’re building out our 5G network so we can maintain that level of experience that everybody has become accustomed to.”

Regarding GTA TV, Denight said, “You get the best of both worlds… If you’re out and about, you can still watch on your phone.” I’m a sports fan, but I also have a five-year-old that dominates the TV. So, I’m in the corner watching the Lakers beat the Nuggets on my phone,” he said with a smile. 

Denight confirmed there are no transition fees for existing cable customers. Users on the older multicast system have already been moved to the updated platform, though full access to GTA TV’s streaming features requires a GTA internet subscription.

According to the team, GTA TV is built to accommodate different types of viewers, from tech-savvy streamers to those who prefer a more traditional setup.

Gayle said, “Traditional TV watching has changed. So, as a communications provider, as a cable TV provider, we need to adapt to that.”

“We understand that there is going to be a population of traditional TV watchers and we want to be able to address their needs,” he said. “But we want to be able to address the needs of the different generations and how they consume their content. And a lot of it is, consuming content, when I want it and how I want it on the device that I prefer to watch it on.”

“We want to be able to do both,” Gayle said. “And this product allows us that flexibility. So, I congratulate Nate and his product team for identifying that, recognizing that, and developing the features that seem to be in most demand.” mbj