September 29, 2005

BT to launch IPTV in Summer 2006

by Brian Turner

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BT is planning to launch its internet protocol television (IPTV) service in late summer 2006, according to Andrew Burke, CEO, BT Entertainment. Mr Burke made the announcement at the Enhanced TV Show in London.

BT developed its new set-top box technology in partnership with Microsoft. It will combine a digital terrestrial television receiver with a broadband receiver, allowing the viewer to move seamlessly between the two signals. BT will generate revenue from enhanced services, including a VoIP facility and a personal scheduling function.

It has not been disclosed if the set top box will be an add-on to existing Freeview boxes or a new product.

According to Elena Branet, Senior Marketing Manager at Microsoft TV, IPTV will allow viewers to use picture in picture channel surfing, display caller ID on their TV sets, or watch TV while messaging friends. She said a minimum connection speed of 1.5 MB would be required to use the service.

Jim Harrison from BskyB, a fellow speaker at the event, suggested that the new IPTV platform would not be interoperable across devices, but this was refuted by Ms Branet. She said that it would be open to another operator’s instant messaging system, for example.

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Story link: BT to launch IPTV in Summer 2006

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