BSNL to offer interactive TV & video services on IPTV platform

1 Jan 2009, 0131 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: In yet another attempt to revive its falling landline user figures, state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) on Wednesday announced the
nation-wide launch of interactive, personalised TV and video services for its customers.

These services, which would be offered via the IPTV platform or cable TV on broadband, would enable users to watch programmes as per their convenience from over 140 TV channels. BSNL will also offer customers an extensive movie library with Hollywood and Bollywood titles at no extra cost, the telco said.

BSNL will be providing these services in collaboration with Smart Digivision. The telco currently has about 38 million landline users and has set an ambitious target of bringing one-fourth of them to avail of the IPTV platform.

The transmission of content through internet protocol television (IPTV) is viewed as an alternative to direct-to-home (DTH) and conditional access system (CAS). Under IPTV, digital content services are delivered to subscribing customers using a broadband internet connection.

BSNL already offers IPTV services in several cities and has entered into tie-ups with several players for this service. MTNL offers IPTV services in Delhi and Mumbai while private telcos such as Bharti are also gearing up to launch services on this technology platform.

Customers who avail IPTV services from BSNL would get video, music, games and education services on demand. In the next phase, subscribers will get additional features such as being able to pause live TV, instant and pre-scheduled recording and personalised stock ticker.

“We have ambitious plans for broadband expansion. For the coming three years, we have plans to add 3 million broadband connections every year,” BSNL CMD Kuldeep Goyal said.