Triple play

IPTV can easily be bundled with broadband Internet service and VoIP services to offer what is popularly known as Triple Play.

The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as a Triple Play. This means with more players bringing IPTV services in India, the service is all set to pose a significant challenge to established cable and satellite services.

In US, Triple Play services are offered by cable television operators as well as by telecommunication operators. Triple Play implies high-speed Internet, television (Video on Demand or regular broadcasts) and telephone service over a single broadband connection. With wirless, it's called Quadruple Play and grouped services (triple and quadruple) are called multi-play.

Why this low penetration

Reasons for poor subscriber base of IPTV include lack of customer awareness about the benefits of the IPTV service, low broadband penetration, slow Internet access speeds and high set-top box cost.

One of the biggest reasons IPTV never took off in India was slow Internet connectivity. However, with faster broadband speed now there is every possibility that IPTV will take users by storm.

IPTV uses a two-way broadcast signal sent through the service provider's backbone network and servers, allowing viewers to select content on demand, time shift (allows you to watch what you want to watch and when you want to watch), and take advantage of other interactive TV options.

To take advantage of this, viewers will need a broadband connection and a set-top-box to send and receive requests. Traditional cable TV has the capacity to deliver hundreds of channels simultaneously to each subscriber. This creates limitations on the number of channels offered and can contribute to bandwidth shortages and quality degradation. IPTV, by contrast, sends only one programme at a time.

When a viewer changes the channel or selects a program, a new stream of content is transmitted from the provider's server directly to the viewer's set-top box.

Current players in India

The companies offering IPTV services in Indian include public sector telcom giants MTNL and BSNL and HFCL. Presently offered in select cities, the IPTV services are delivered in collaboration with content delivery company like Aksh Optifibres and Goldstone.

Recently, Aksh started offering IPTV connection without a broadband connection to encourage the penetration of IPTV among the masses.

Speculations are rife that the segment may see entry of several large telecom players and others into the business of providing broadband access. Globally, many of the world's major telecom providers are exploring IPTV as a new revenue opportunity from their existing markets.

How will businesses benefit from IPTV?

Companies can use IPTV to deliver television content over corporate LAN and business networks. The customised content delivery enabled by IPTV means reduced opportunities for theft of content.

Also, since the network is extremely secure, IPTV provides a good platform for businesses. In fact, as advertisers get better at understanding the behaviour of consumers, they will have a significant opportunity to decrease the use of low-impact broadcast ads and increase the use of personalised ads that drive meaningful business results.