ICE
Gets OK For IPTV Service
The
Contraloría General de la
República has given the Instituto Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE) the green light to
provide television over the internet,
endorsing the contract between the state
institution and ITS
Servicios de Infocomunicación.
The contract is for us$19.6 million dollars
for the purchase of the technology to
provide Internet Protocol television (IPTV)
services, television by way of a wide band
internet connection already provided by ICE
in homes and businesses.
The
Contraloría had rejected the deal last
August, saying it had concerns on some of
the terms of the deal. However, the deal has
now been approved with a number of
conditions and observations that ICE must
comply with.
Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is a
system through which digital television
service is delivered using the architecture
and networking methods of the Internet
Protocol Suite over a packet-switched
network infrastructure, e.g., the Internet
and broadband Internet access networks,
instead of being delivered through
traditional radio frequency broadcast,
satellite signal, and cable television (CATV)
formats.
IPTV services may be classified into three
main groups: live television, time-shifted
programming, and content (or video) on
demand. It is distinguished from general
Internet-based or web-based multimedia
services by its on-going standardization
process (e.g., ETSI) and preferential
deployment scenarios in subscriber-based
telecommunications networks with high-speed
access channels into end-user premises via
set-top boxes or other customer-premises
equipment.
In 1994, ABC's World News Now was the first
television show to be broadcast over the
Internet. In 2003, Total Access Networks Inc
launched its IPTV service, comprising of 100
free IPTV stations world wide. The service
has been used in over 100 countries world
wide, and has channels in 26 languages.
In 2005, Bredbandsbolaget launched its IPTV
service as the first service provider in
Sweden. As of January 2009, they are not the
biggest supplier any longer; Telia who
launched their service later has now more
customers.
In the past, this technology has been
restricted by low broadband penetration and
by the relatively high cost of installing
wiring capable of transporting IPTV content
reliably in the customer's home. In the
coming years, however, residential IPTV is
expected to grow at a brisk pace as
broadband was available to more than 200
million households worldwide in the year
2005, projected to grow to 400 million by
the year 2010.
Many of the world's major telecommunications
providers are exploring IPTV as a new
revenue opportunity from their existing
markets and as a defensive measure against
encroachment from more conventional Cable
Television services.
Also, there is a growing number of IPTV
installations within schools, universities,
corporations and local institutions.
ICE says the service will be offered
starting in June 2010 |
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What is IP television?
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is digital television delivered on your television (and not PC) through high speed internet (broadband) connection. In this service, channels are encoded in IP format and delivered to the TV through a set top box. IPTV service also includes video on demand, which is similar to watching video CDs/DVDs using a VCD/DVD player.
What are the advantages of IPTV?
The quality of digital video and audio is much better compared with the traditional analogue TV. With additional features, it can become interactive.
What are the limitations of IPTV?
Because IPTV is based on internet protocol, it is sensitive to packet loss and delays if the IPTV connection is not fast enough. |
