Kazakhtelecom launches 'ID TV' IPTV service

The launching of an interactive digital television service ID TV

ASTANA — In order to expand its range of services and build long-term competitive advantage, the leading telecom operator JSC «Kazakhtelecom» began to provide interactive digital TV IDTV in Astana.

On February 11, 2009, the national carrier began providing interactive television services under the brand name ID TV.

Interactive TV IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) or ID TV (Interactive Digital Television), as opposed to traditional forms of pay television (satellite and cable), providing subscribers, in addition to access to dozens of TV channels, a number of unique features.

• Video on Demand (Video on Demand, VoD): an opportunity to select and view a video film of the operator through the TV interface. In doing so, the image quality of film corresponds to DVD-quality;
• Digital cinema (Near Video on Demand, NVoD): service view of popular films on the schedule (virtual analog of many rooms theater);
• Electronic Transmission Program (Electronic program guide, EPG): on the screen grid of programs available for TV channels. EPG provides program listings for the next few days with their brief description.

The structure of packages of channels enables the subscriber to select a TV program, depending on personal preferences and needs. The subscriber can start with the «basic package», consisting of 55 channels and to expand their list of additional packages, grouped by topic / area of broadcasting: «Music», «Children», «Housewife», «cognitive», «Entertainment», and etc.

In the nearest future to provide services such as:

• Network personal video recorder (Network personal video recorder): allows you to record programs on a virtual video recorder for future viewing;
• Deferred viewing (Time shifting): with the help of this service may be at a convenient time to view the recording of TV broadcast over the past 48 hours.

This service will be available to users of broadband Internet services. To connect to IPTV would require: Modem ADSL2 + (with support for Multi PVC), connected to a telephone line, and the attachment Set Top Box (STB), which converts the IP-packet in the television signal and provides interaction with the interactive services.

In accordance with the 3-year development plan for the JSC «Kazakhtelecom » for 2008-2010 Interactive Television IPTV services will be implemented in all regions of the country. Since the beginning of the project the company began to implement the concept of providing services through a single channel of the broadband access on a «three-in-one» – Triple Play. The main components of the concept of Triple Play are: Internet access, telephony services and IPTV. The strategy to provide a number of advantages to subscribers of JSC «Kazakhtelecom»: a point of sales and service, one bill to pay for telecommunications services, reducing costs by receiving services in a «package».

In turn, shift focus to the provision of separate telecommunications services in their provision for the concept of Triple Play, which is an integral part of service IPTV, is the most promising development strategy of JSC «Kazakhtelecom». It is this strategy will promote a long-term competitive advantages of companies in the market.

It should be noted that in general the project along with other projects infocommunication JSC «Kazakhtelecom» will contribute to the further development of the telecommunications market of Kazakhstan to the level of the most competitive countries in the world.