TV Over Broadband Trials
BT announced on the 29th of June that it plans to offer TV over broadband services in the UK with consumer trials scheduled for the beginning of next year.
BT has decided to partner with Microsoft to provide its software platform called Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition.
“BT and Microsoft share a common vision for converged entertainment in the home,” said Gavin Patterson, group managing director of BT retail.
This software can provide standard and high-definition channels, on-demand programming, digital video recording and interactive program guides.
Whilst this aggressive move into the entertainment industry may result in reduced television set sales viewers will still have to retain their TV license in order to access this service.
The UK Government revise the law two years ago making it illegal to install or use a television receiver for programmes without a valid TV license.
On the local front Telkom has made similar moves in that direction by announcing that they plan to trial a new Triple Play service within 3 months as reported on ITWeb. This service includes Internet, music and video-on-demand.
Steven White, Telkom executive for product development, stated, “We have deals with M-Net and Multichoice in terms of content provisioning and aim to offer DVD quality broadcasts and video and music-on-demand, downloaded from a content server.”
This bold move from Telkom is part of their goal to keep abreast of the way things are developing in Europe and the US.
Telkom hopes to launch the trials in August and are in the process of signing on 400 customers.
During the trial period Telkom hopes to iron out potential difficulties like the billing system, copyright issues and to answer questions regarding the content customers want.
But there is still a chance that South Africa may miss out on the triple play service which according to David Aviv, Vice President of advanced services at Israeli-based Radware, is “the next big convergence thing.”
Overseas telecommunication companies and service providers are beginning to become increasingly aware that the next big step in universal connectivity is user-centric bandwidth where the individual is able to personalize his or her needs.
The first big step was basic dial-up services with the next big change broadband. The global Internet community is about to take another big leap with towards user-centric broadband but in order for this to be possible high local loop speeds and quality of service are prerequisites.
These two factors represent possible obstacles to the growth of broadband in South Africa.
“To a visitor, it seems that SA is deliberately building a barrier between itself and the world. Unless the tariff structures are sorted out with competition entering the market – there is a serious possibility of the country being left behind” noted Aviv.
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