MTNL to launch triple play

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) today said that it gearing up to launch triple-play services carying video, voice and data on the same copper telephone line.

MTNL which had announced the service earlier said its kick start was hindered by minor technical snags and the pricing formula is yet to be finalised, Chairman and Managing Director R S P Sinha said here at a press conference.

MTNL is providing its broadband service on ADSL2 technology which is capable of deleivering 25 MBPS bandwith to the customer.

The company is also in the process of putting up 51 more base stations to improve the service of its mobile phones, MTNL, Director Finance Kuldip Singh said adding ''network congestion is an outcome of growth,''.

Mr Singh also said the pricing for triple -play is yet to be done.

He said in Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) , MTNL will be the leader in the country with MTNL to become the first large-scale commercial deployer of IPTV by June.

Israeli digital video-head-end house Optibase Ltd., says it nailed down the MTNL contract. Under terms of the deal, whose value was not disclosed, Optibase will supply its IPTV MGW 5100 platforms for a digital head-end that will enable triple-play services in the Delhi and Mumbai areas, where MTNL has 3.9 million subscribers.

Both new Cisco subsidiary Scientific-Atlanta and Motorola are known to be fighting tooth and nail for the Indian business. In addition to MTNL, every Indian wireline operator in the country Reliance Infocomm, Tata Indicom, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Bharti Airtel has said it has IPTV on its agenda.

BSNL is expected to be close on the heels of MTNL in actually launching IPTV service, while Reliance is known to have already issued tenders.

UNI RT MP GC1930