IPTV to roll out in 30 cities by Mar 2009

With the broadband penetration gaining momentum, IPTV is set for a boom in India and is expected to be available in around 30 cities in the next 18-20 months, industry officials said.

IPTV is currently commercially available in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata and is now showing signs of gaining traction in the Indian market.

Mumbai-based IPTV content provider IOL Broadband plans to deploy the triple-play service - telephone, high speed internet and cable television in as many as 28 cities by March 2009.

"We plan to roll out the services in seven cities in 2007-08 and 21 cities in 2008-09," said IOL Broadband director Mahendra Chouhan at the launch of BSNL IPTV services here.

BSNL also launched the services in Kolkata yesterday.

"We have agreement with BSNL for 59 cities, and depending on the requirements and broadband penetration, we will prioritise them and launch," Chouhan said.

As per the arrangement, IOL will provide content and market the services, while BSNL will provide access to customers.

BSNL chairman & managing director Kuldeep Goyal, who was present at the launch, said the state-owned telecom company has aggressive plans to expand the broadband network and also saw a great future for IPTV services in India.

BSNL has a broadband subscriber base of 10 lakh.

"We have ambitious plans for broadband expansion," Goyal said. "For the coming three years, we have plans to add six million broadband connections every year."