The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : BSNL watching how IPTV performs in Pune, Bangalore

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Monday, Jun 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

BSNL watching how IPTV performs in Pune, Bangalore

M. Dinesh Varma

Its launch in Chennai has been delayed because of lack of content

BSNL is likely to be cautious about IPTV as feedback from Pune and Bangalore is that the technology is yet to take off in a big way
Officials say the actual time taken for downloading content will depend on the speed of the broadband connection

CHENNAI: BSNL Chennai Telephones is watching with keen interest how Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) has been performing in the two cities where it has been introduced so far.

The IPTV is now confined to BSNL networks in Pune and Bangalore. The launch of IPTV for BSNL’s broadband users in Chennai has been delayed because of the lack of content.

Sources said a team from the franchisee contracted for the IPTV project might meet BSNL officials in Chennai for a demonstration later this month.

The franchisee is expected to facilitate the setting up of a giga server and provide the movie content for the central database. However, the BSNL is likely to be cautious about IPTV as word reaching here from Pune and Bangalore is that the technology is yet to take off in a big way.

Unlike Internet Television, where a decoder box streams television programming on to the computer monitor, IPTV refers to the bundling of video-on-demand features to an existing Internet user base on a closed network infrastructure.

Chennai Telephones would be bundling the feature for its broadband user base. For instance, subscribers of DataOne broadband will be able to click on a pop-up to start downloading a movie.

The IPTV was among the bouquet of value-added services Chennai Telephones had lined up for its customers in this city. It has recently scaled up its broadband experience by providing “Multi Play”, or an enhanced suite of data, voice and video.

In the fourth dimension, the application will be extended to the mobile user base (Quadruple Play).

BSNL officials said the actual time taken for downloading content such as a three-hour movie would depend on the speed of the broadband connection.

The BSNL is offering Internet speeds in the range of 256 kbps to 2 mbps for the average residential user through various Home Plans in the limited and unlimited categories.

However, it also has a scaled-up version of 8 mbps that comes at a cost of Rs. 9,000 a month.

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