I want my IPTV
Monday, December 17th, 2007Mobile networks get on board the broadband TV wagon
2008 looks set to be the year of IPTV, with BT Vision soldiering ahead with the promise of interactive New Media 2 content, and Tiscali aiming to add over 200,000 customers to its IPTV service in the UK and across Europe.
Leading mobile and broadband providers Orange and O2 are also set to follow suit, with both parties preparing to launch IPTV operations in the UK.
Orange have a bit of a head start on O2, having already conducted trials of their service among customers in Leeds and London, and signed content provision deals with ABC and Disney.
O2 already has deals with Warner Bros, HBO and Paramount for its TV service in the Czech Republic, which it hopes to bring to the UK in 2008 as its broadband footprint grows. Tiscali aim to expand the availability of their IPTV service by investing more in BT Openreach; the wholesale plan that allows other ISPs to ‘buy’ BT lines by installing equipment in phone exchanges.
Broadband market leaders BT are thought to be launching more broadband bundles for their TV service to make BT Vision a more attractive prospect. BT’s main competitor in the fixed-line/broadband market is Virgin Media – Sky Broadband, as part of the See Speak Surf bundle, has had a considerable impact on the market, connecting customers at a rate which must have given its rivals more than a few sleepless nights.
