To make this new service a reality, Alcatel is offering an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system called Alcatel Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture to network carriers and service providers to enable them to deliver IPTV services to customers.

IPTV is a triple-play service that includes voice, data and video that are at the top of the IP network. Television viewers can interact and send information to the network and the system can share content with others at the same time.

Michel Rahier, president of Alcatel's Fixed Communications Group, said the Alcatel Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture based on IP technology comes with Triple Play applications that include a communications application, My Own TV application, and Amigo TV application.

Incorporating Microsoft IPTV Edition, these applications offer a new kind of TV service that allows users to manage and control voice services over television, create a personal channel, share content with a defined community and transform them into their "My Own TV" producers. Meanwhile, they can share community content and communicate with friends and family in remote locations just as if they were in the same room.

Rahier said the architecture would also integrate the operational system, billing system and services management system. The IP based system is not only Internet. It includes multi-service convergence such as video on demand, Internet and telephone on a single network. Viewers would require HDTV at home to watch television, video on demand or even make a telephone call over IPTV.

"The IPTV benefits are the possibility of having different channels, video on demand at home, and time shift. Customers also have their own channel for their family or club to exchange photos, data and movies as well," said Michel.

To reach customers globally, Alcatel has worked with AT&T to develop a project that offers IPTV services to 18 million homes in the United States by 2009.

In Thailand, the firm plans to work with local carriers to provide pilot IPTV projects. It expects that by the end of 2007, it will have 10,000 to 20,000 IPTV subscribers in the country.

"We are working with many network operators in Thailand and discussing the best ways to arrange service transformation. We hope that we can customise the home television application for communities and corporate users by 2007," said Michel.

He said that in the near future the firm would offer television services on mobiles. Customers can use mobile devices like PDA and Blackberry for television services.

Singapore is a country with high potential and high growth in IPTV since it already has optic cables installed throughout the island. Alcatel estimates that there will be 72 million IPTV subscribers by 2010 and 50 per cent of all IPTV subscribers will be in Asia.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation

jirapan@nationgroup.com