India's First IPTV Service from MTNL

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and IOL Broadband have rolled-out India's first IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service. IOL Broadband has entered into a strategic partnership with MTNL for providing Content Delivery Network.

IPTV is a system wherein digital quality television service is delivered to consumers using Broadband connection. According to IOL sources, IPTV services are gaining tremendous momentum world-wide, since the beginning of 2006, and this roll-out is poised to bring India into the bracket of technically advanced countries, while making next generation entertainment services available in the country.

It is estimated that already 2 million IPTV connections have been booked world-wide. The subscriber base is expected to reach 10 million by year 2007. MTNL will offer IPTV services to its existing 2.2 million subscribers in Mumbai in the first phase.

With IPTV, subscribers can control and choose hundreds of TV channels, Real Time Interactive TV, Video on Demand, Music on Demand, Pause and Play, Time Shifted Television Viewing, and e-Learning, along with excellent picture quality and superior sound effects.

A S Oberai, director, IOL Broadband, said, "IPTV is the technology where the consumers can access phone, Internet, and television services through a single cable. With this paradigm shift, the focus will be shifted from conventional driven entertainment to consumer demand entertainment. IPTV is going to replace traditional methods of viewing television soon. MTNL has 2.2 million customers already, and we are privileged to work hand in hand with them. We are also looking at other cities soon."

From October 21, MTNL is launching IPTV for its broadband customers, who have to pay Rs 199 a month to get 25 free-to-air channels. MTNL plans to increase the number of channels to over 200 later. Users have to buy a separate set top box (STB) to get IPTV, which would cost them in the region of Rs 6,000.

IOL Broadband is India's first IPTV service provider to demonstrate a fully workable IPTV solution. IOL Broadband has advanced IP based Next Generation Network (IP-NGN). With enriched content, comprising the best of television, movies from Bollywood, from Hollywood, from Warner Bros, MGM, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, etc, this content will be compressed by the world s best and latest technology standard MPEG-4 H.264 (Part 10), and will be streamed to customers on 1.8 to 2.5 Mbps bandwidth.