IPTV service to be launched on Oct 17

New Delhi, Oct 16: After testing the service for more than a year, Mahangar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) will launch here tomorrow the country's first Tri-Band service offering its customers in the capital, phone, internet and television services from one single cable.

The service will initially feature a bouquet of 25 free-to-air and pay TV channels which will go up to 200 as MTNL expects demands to surge. It will also entails a video-on demand content.MTNL's launch tomorrow will focus on the exact tariffs Delhi customers will have to pay which will be different from Mumbai where the plan has already been launched.

The IPTV set-top box costs Rs 6,000 . The service packages start at Rs 199 per month. The service is targetted at the broadband customers of Delhi. Delhi and Mumbai has a combined three lakh broadband, MTNL users.

''Users have to buy a separate set top box to get IP-TV'' a MTNL official said.

MTNL's market strategy has to take into account exisiting services like like cable, direct-to-home, and also the conditional access system (CAS), which will be implemented in parts of Delhi and Mumbai by the end of this year, MTNL officials said.

But MTNL would cash in on the service that users can avail of voice (telephone), internet and TV services on the same broadband line, simultaneously.

Users will also be offered various other features which include films and videos on demand and e-governance information.

Cable operators currently charge between Rs 200 and Rs 300 a month for 60 to 100 channels. Once CAS where a set top box is implemented, it will offer customers more flexibility than IP-TV, industry experts say.

MTNL may also face the challenge from CAS where the government has fixed a maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs 5 per pay channel and where consumers can choose according to their needs.

UNI