• India's First IPTV Service from MTNL

    India's First IPTV Service from MTNL

    Nycil George, Oct 16, 2006 1805 hrs IST

    Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and IOL Broadband have rolled-out India's first IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service.

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Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and IOL Broadband have rolled-out India's first IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service. IOL Broadband has entered into a strategic partnership with MTNL for providing Content Delivery Network.

IPTV is a system wherein digital quality television service is delivered to consumers using Broadband connection. According to IOL sources, IPTV services are gaining tremendous momentum world-wide, since the beginning of 2006, and this roll-out is poised to bring India into the bracket of technically advanced countries, while making next generation entertainment services available in the country.

It is estimated that already 2 million IPTV connections have been booked world-wide. The subscriber base is expected to reach 10 million by year 2007. MTNL will offer IPTV services to its existing 2.2 million subscribers in Mumbai in the first phase.

With IPTV, subscribers can control and choose hundreds of TV channels, Real Time Interactive TV, Video on Demand, Music on Demand, Pause and Play, Time Shifted Television Viewing, and e-Learning, along with excellent picture quality and superior sound effects.

A S Oberai, director, IOL Broadband, said, "IPTV is the technology where the consumers can access phone, Internet, and television services through a single cable. With this paradigm shift, the focus will be shifted from conventional driven entertainment to consumer demand entertainment. IPTV is going to replace traditional methods of viewing television soon. MTNL has 2.2 million customers already, and we are privileged to work hand in hand with them. We are also looking at other cities soon."

From October 21, MTNL is launching IPTV for its broadband customers, who have to pay Rs 199 a month to get 25 free-to-air channels. MTNL plans to increase the number of channels to over 200 later. Users have to buy a separate set top box (STB) to get IPTV, which would cost them in the region of Rs 6,000.

IOL Broadband is India's first IPTV service provider to demonstrate a fully workable IPTV solution. IOL Broadband has advanced IP based Next Generation Network (IP-NGN). With enriched content, comprising the best of television, movies from Bollywood, from Hollywood, from Warner Bros, MGM, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, etc, this content will be compressed by the world s best and latest technology standard MPEG-4 H.264 (Part 10), and will be streamed to customers on 1.8 to 2.5 Mbps bandwidth.

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Discussion Board
(28) Comments
SHANTVCI
,MUMBAI, on Jul 18, 2008 12:49 AM
AKSH IPTV was installed at my home on 23-06-2008.But it worked hardly for 2 days.Thereafter I lodged complaints to AKSH IPTV & MTNL several times on phone and through email.The customer service provided by AKSH IPTV is very very poor. They do not give complaint numbers which is violation of TRAI guidelines. When you call at call centre they will ask your name and contact number but they do not bother to call back. Every time you have to remind them about the problem you are facing. I think I have called them more than 50 times.[B][U][COLOR="Red"]This is the poorest customer service I have seen in my entire life.[/COLOR][/U][/B]. I sent emails to their head office at Gurgaon but I think they don't have any regards to customers.The reason given to me was problem at Prabhadevi telephone exchange.But I have not received a written comnunication from MTNL/AKSH.I fails to understand when the infrastructure was not ready why they have go ahead with the project. MTNL is not able to fix the problem after so many days . This shows it's efficiency. This is the main reason MTNL is loosing it's market share in Mumbai. On 04-07-2008 I written email to MTNL's top boss that if the problem is not fixed I will escalate the matter to Department of Telecommunication.Then on 8-7-2008 AKSH's technician came to my home and fixed the problem. But from 09-07-2008 onwards IPTV is not working. Again I called several times at call centre to wake up AKSH. On 12-07-2008 their technician visited my home and assured me that problem will be solved in a couple of days.When I called at call centre today i.e. 17-07-2008 told me that the problem is solved. But IPTV is not functioning yet. As usual I had given my contact details but nobody called me and no technical help is provided. I lodged several complaints online, through emails and on telephone to MTNL and AKSH but I have not received a single written communications from them. AKSH ? MUMBAI MTNL IPTV IS SUPER FLOP SHOW.
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ANIL KUMAR
,DELHI, on Feb 20, 2007 11:14 AM
WE OPERATING A LOACL TV CHANNEL IN UP. WANT TO SHIFT IT ON IP NETWORK. KINDLY SUGGEST.
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clotilda Remedi
,bandra, mumbai, on Oct 24, 2006 11:23 PM
I am waiting for IPTV
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Waiting
,Mumbai, on Oct 25, 2006 03:32 PM
Keep waiting!!
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shailesh
,mumbai, on Feb 13, 2007 09:50 PM
HI ,I came to know from internet (techtree.com)youi are intrested in iptv subscription.The IPTV service is started now.Call for any question-9867503738
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Ghanshyam Achar
,Mumbai, on Feb 01, 2007 12:28 PM
well MTNL has got very good Infrastructure.Inspite of all why they have no become No.one service provider.people like us who always trust mtnl.service.yetwe hope some good service to come from Mtnl.there should be no vested intrest to be exist.for good result future progress
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sameer
,delhi, on Jan 09, 2007 07:20 PM
bunch of bull! MPEG4 or not even out in the US people dont use IPTV. Junk Junk
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Arun D souza
,MUMBAI, on Oct 26, 2006 08:47 PM
Main drawback of subscribing IPTV is to consumer need to buy set top box worth 6,000 rs.as of today STB is available @4,000rs from Dish tv or tata sky. monthly payment need to be reduce else its costlier than present media.
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Mahesh Date
,Mum, on Oct 26, 2006 02:51 PM
Announcing service......... Test Details unknown.................... Rates not decided............. Just things to come... Or unvaible /dumped????????????????
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Only Waittttttt
,BBY, on Oct 26, 2006 03:07 PM
Unsure whetehr 2 offer?
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Duper
,Mumbai, on Oct 26, 2006 03:41 PM
I think they are sure about one thing, How to dupe customers!
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amedius
,bandra, mumbai, on Oct 24, 2006 11:20 PM
IPTV IS A GOOD NEWS. ACCORDING TO ME WHEN MY PHONE GOES DEAD, THE INTERNET STILL WORKS AND I HOPE WITH MTNL PHONES GOING DEAD AT MY PLACE EVERY 10 DAYS OR SO A MONTH, ITS A BAD IDEA TO GO FOR IPTV, BUT THEN IF BROADBAND SITLL WORKS, IPTV CAN. PRICING IS GOING BE PRETTY BAD FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS. MY MTNL BILL COME TO RS.700, PLUS BROADBAND CHARGES - THAT RS. 399 RENT PLUS RS.80 MODEM RENT PLUS MINIMUM USAGE WHICH IS AROUND COMES TO RS.700 A MONTH. MONTHS BILL IS AROUND RS.1400 - AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IPTV, WHICH FROM THE CIRCLES I HAVE COME TO KNOW THAT IT WILL BE MINIMUM RS.200 PM AND WITH PREMIUM CHANNELS AND SUGAR AND SPICE IT WILL BE AROUND RS.500 PER MONTH. THAT COMES TO AROUND RS.2100 A MONTH. IS IT WORTH. THINK ABOUT IT.
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SANJAY ARORA
,MUMBAI, on Oct 16, 2006 08:04 PM
WILL IT WORK IN THE MONSOON & SPECIALLY WHEN THE LINE BECOMES DEAD,SPECIALLY GOING BY THE CUSTOMER CARE OF MTNL.
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Sundar
,Chennai, on Oct 24, 2006 11:32 AM
IPTV will be popular only if they give the following at 200pm , 6000 for STB: 1)Hardware:STB fully loaded like 40GB HDD,WIFI card,512MB memory card,USB/Firewire supports,HDTV out,etc., 2)TV channels:Everychannel in India with the ability for the user to select the channels they wanna view at 200 pm or more for more number of channels at Rs. 10 per channel pm.Atleast a total of 25 channels should be given for 199 pm.Movies on demand,music on demand,etc., for a trial of 1 month and can be given for a seperate subscription.
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d.c. aggarwal
,delhi, on Oct 21, 2006 03:49 AM
This is good initiative taken by MTNL, hope they start in Delhi also soon. The price should be reduced as private operators, TATA Sky and Dish TV are offering ITVP at cheaper price.
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Sunder Thadani
,Mumbai, on Oct 17, 2006 07:16 AM
This is the best news for 2006. I am waiting for IPTV since a long time. Congratulations to MTNL - [who has made millions people happy with this initiative and put India -on the top of the world in telecommunicaton, Internet, and the best service to the customers.
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chiang
,Mumbai, on Oct 19, 2006 03:11 PM
Look at the reality: 20 channels that are free everywhere else. MTNL wants you to pay Rs 6000 for a box and then 200 pm. They must be waiting for suckers like you.
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Ahmed
,Mumbai, on Oct 19, 2006 07:34 PM
This would be the worst news for MTNL If they charge so high say for A) STB ~Rs 6000 B) 199/ +(Service Tax etc) P.M. C) Pay additional charges beside A) & B) for other regular existing channels supplied by cablewala at 200/- P.M. MTNL should offer all these 3 in 1 service at Rs 500/-PM or else these millions people shall be waiting till MTNL reduces monthly charge at 99/-P.M.
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tukul
,dehli, on Oct 17, 2006 01:10 AM
The only places where IPTV will be viable are the cities. And the only way I will go for it is if they show channels like SciFi Channel, Nicksplat-UK (cause the Indian version sucks), and Comedy channel. Oh, and HBO & Star Movies too! (Indian law sucks). In short only english viewership will go for IPTV, if IPTV goes for english. Hindi/regionals are already well covered by cable/DTH.
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Darel Hayes
,delhi, on Oct 18, 2006 01:09 AM
Totally agree with you there. I would like UK TV & Granada and BBC Prime too. Disney UK is great for kids.
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RationalDude
,Kolkata, on Oct 18, 2006 01:45 AM
U hit the nail on the head. Right now Star World is about the only English entertainment channel and Jay Leno on Z Cafe. I would also like good channels for my kids. Nicksplat-India, Hungama are really bad. Now they started showing shoddy stuff on Disney-India too. I dont want my kids watching such crap at all. Be it CAS,DTH or IPTV, I want it to have Disney,Nicksplat non-India.
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Newbie
,Mumbai, on Oct 18, 2006 01:00 PM
One can migrate to one of those westen countires to avoid such big channel problems!
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Amit Saxena
,New Delhi, on Oct 19, 2006 12:55 AM
English viewers in India is growing fast, going by the popularity of Star World,HBO,Star Movies. But they always suffer at the hands of the Cablewala. Maybe IPTV/DTH will change that.
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ravindra ghadge
,navi mumbai, on Oct 17, 2006 06:57 PM
cost of buying a set of box should be around 3 to 4000 and actual presentation of how it works.
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osze57
,mumbai, on Oct 16, 2006 09:19 PM
What about Bsnl IPTV any know how
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Shalin
,Rajkot, on Oct 17, 2006 11:23 AM
The BSNL IP TV in the pipe line and it will roll out by march 07 and probably be branded under broadband multiplay
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IPTVGuy
,RoopNagar, on Oct 17, 2006 11:37 AM
Which pipe line? In my city drainage and water pipe line are broken, would user get IPTV through those borken pipes?
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Tulu
,Bhubaneswar, on Oct 17, 2006 05:06 PM
IPTV from Roop Nagar might have studied in roopnagar multilanguage school ,they don't teach ENGLISH --may be third language. Its OK better get in touch with OXford Dic.
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