French telecom equipment maker Alcatel is in talks with Indian telecom service providers to sell its Internet Protocol TV solutions, which will enable their customers to enjoy voice, video and internet on the TV sets.
"We are in conversation with the service providers but no specific details could be given at this point," Alcatel VP & head sales, India, Anuj Kapoor told PTI on the sidelines of an IPTV seminar. Almost all service providers, including BSNL and MTNL, are in various process of pilot or otherwise on IPTV deployment which could be a major source of income for them.
The French major already has a partnership with Microsoft. The Microsoft TV IPTV edition provides integrated hardware, software, pre-tested in Alcatel Labs to deliver a comprehensive platform.
Together, the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition and the Alcatel Triple Play Applications (voice, video and data) provide a pre-integrated IPTV solution.
Some projections say by the end of this decade 25.9 million subscribers will generate $10 billon dollars revenue. IPTV will change the way Indians have been watching TV. With key advantages over the current cable and satellite TV technologiess, IPTV can be bundled with other services like Video-On-Demand, Voice Over IP, digital phone or web access collectively called as Triple Play. The broadband service provider goes to the customer premises who has to tie up with content provider like broadcasters, movie and music companies, equipment providers.
IPTV is providing Triple Play -- voice, video and data on broadband network like DSL, which till now are being used to give internet access to users.