Ericsson: World's biggest IPTV upgrade due for Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — Chunghwa Telecom (TAIEX: 2412, NYSE: CHT), Taiwan’s largest telecom operator, has chosen Ericsson (STKM: ERIC, NASDAQ: ERIC) to deploy and integrate a new IPTV platform that will deliver multi-screen interactive multimedia services to more than 900,000 subscribers. The new platform will replace Chunghwa’s existing IPTV system and respond to a growing demand from consumers for content anywhere, any time on a wide range of devices including TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets.

The Chunghwa Telecom deal also includes Ericsson Multiscreen TV and the Ericsson Media Connect (IPTV Remote) service. The new services are due to be available to subscribers in December of this year.

The number of IPTV subscribers worldwide is expected to explode over the next five years, increasing from 35 million at the end of 2010 to 155 million by the end of 2016, according to a Digital TV Research report published in July 2011. More than 70 percent of these 120 million new subscribers are expected to come from the Asia-Pacific region.

Mats H Olsson, President, Ericsson China & North East Asia, says: “By working in close partnership with operators such as Chunghwa, we are able to give consumers more flexibility, mobility and freedom through access to media content on any screen, anywhere. By offering this enhanced viewing experience, Chunghwa will be able to maintain its leading position in the IPTV arena. Our end-to-end solution will also enable the operator to enjoy new revenues from advanced TV services.”

Through its consulting and systems integration capabilities, Ericsson will be the prime integrator of the end-to-end solution, which covers everything from digital rights management to video servers, content management solutions and installation of set-top boxes.