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| BSNL IPTV goes commercial Oct 8, 09 |
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Three-month trial period of free viewing completed
CHENNAI: BSNL’s Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services have gone commercial in Chennai following the completion of the three-month trial period of free viewing.
Chennai Telephones, which trialled IPTV services among select broadband subscribers by offering about 140 popular channels free of cost, has rolled out various packages in the Rs.100-to-Rs.300 pricing band.
However, to keep the pricing on a par with rates charged by local cable operators, all channels, except the premium sports channels, are at present being offered for a monthly subscription of Rs.100.
BSNL has partnered with MyWay IPTV services offered by Smart TV Group also to launch IPTV on trial basis in select towns such as Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Madurai and Puducherry, apart from Chennai.
The Group has entered into long-term contracts with MTNL and BSNL for providing co-branded interactive video services in 54 cities across India.
For IPTV viewers in Chennai, a sore point in the MyWay has been the conspicuous absence of the Sun bouquet of Tamil channels. However, the MyWay franchise expects to close out an agreement on bringing in Sun channels soon, sources said.
At present, 800 subscribers have opted for paid IPTV services. Chennai Telephones officials expect higher opt-ins for the service from its expanding broadband clientele, which is the fastest-growing user base in the entire country.
According to customer feedback, the most attractive IPTV offering has been the movie-on-demand feature. IPTV allows users to download movies on to the computer and watch them at a convenient time. Users can also pre-set the record facility for a favourite programme and watch it at a convenient time later. They can also pause or rewind a movie or a programme as they would do with a DVD movie.
According to officials, IPTV technology that delivers video or TV broadcasts over the broadband network instead of the conventional method of tapping signals over the cable lines (Cable Operator) or via satellite (DTH) is touted to provide superior customer experience for several reasons.
For instance, it scores over DTH because of the facility for any time viewing of movies-on-demand/television programmes, higher degree of interactivity, e-mail, chat and SMS features on television and other value added services such as booking railway tickets or checking PNR numbers.
Meanwhile, the BSNL is likely to rope in a second IPTV franchise soon in Chennai. Negotiations on a deal are in the final stage with Bangalore-based I-Spatial, sources said.
“We expect a second franchise to offer more customer choice and bring in competitive pricing in the segment,” a top official said.
source : The Hindu 08/10/09 |
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