Entone Selected by ITC for IPTV Deployment

Award-winning Hydra IP Video Gateway Enables Telco To Deploy IPTV Services Across Multiple States

SAN MATEO, California — Entone, Inc., the IPTV connected home company, announced today that its award-winning Hydra™ IP video gateway has been chosen by Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (ITC) for their IPTV rollout.

ITC provides local telephone, digital television and broadband services to subscribers in South Dakota and Minnesota. ITC has been providing telecommunications services to its communities for over 50 years, and now offers a triple play service bundle of voice, video, and data using Entone’s Hydra IP video gateway.

“The installation costs represent a major focal point in the business case for delivering IPTV services,” comments Jerry Heiberger, General Manager of ITC. “Entone’s Hydra IP video gateway has enabled us to significantly increase the productivity of our installation teams and reduced the cost per home for deploying our triple play services, while providing our users a true connected home experience.”

The field-proven Hydra IP video gateway is part of Entone’s Connected Home Solution that eliminates the need for multiple set-top boxes or new home wiring to deliver IPTV services. Using patent-pending technology, Hydra can deliver multiple video streams over a single DSL or Ethernet connection using existing in-home coax cabling. The result is a dramatic cost savings over single decoder set-top box solutions. Hydra also supports whole home networking technologies such as HomePNA, HomePlug, and 802.11n for enabling high speed delivery of rich media throughout the home using existing coax wiring. This dramatically improves the business case for IPTV services by reducing the installation costs and eliminating the complexities associated with IP video deployment.

“We enjoy working with progressive operating companies such as ITC,” states Steve McKay, Entone’s CEO. “They have been aggressive in deploying triple play services with a compelling video service offering. With Hydra, we are able to really help improve the business case for delivering advanced IPTV services such as HDTV and whole-home DVR.”

Entone’s Connected Home Solution provides a platform for delivering broadcast television and enabling media sharing throughout a networked home using existing in-home coax cabling. Users can watch live TV or enjoy simultaneous recording and playback from any TV in the home with just a single device. Entone enables a true connected home experience that offers operators additional revenue streams while providing users with added benefits and viewing flexibility.