Internet Protocol television, popularly called IPTV, was launched by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) with much fanfare in Kolkata last year. The stage was set for Kolkata to become the second city in the country after Pune to get satellite tv channels  via telephone lines at broad band speed. In fact BSNL even had plans to start IPTV services in the districts of West Bengal!

One year after its launch in the city, a mere 400 subscribers have IPTV connections out of a total of 4000 applicants. Without doubt, BSNL’s  IPTV venture fell far below expectations.

IPTV is an alternative medium for broadcasting of TV channels other than the terrestrial, cable or DTH formats. IPTV enables a telecom service provider to distribute TV channels through telephone lines using internet protocol. A special modem is required at the subscriber’s end to transmit the TV signals. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has already issued the permission to  TV broadcasters to transmit their channels through IPTV networks run by telecom service providers.

BSNL’s IPTV venture in Kolkata, involving an investment of Rs 30 crores, marked the beginning of the much hyped “Convergence” services, which means offering multiple services via a single cable network. In fact the IPTV package includes internet service, TV broadcasting (IPTV), fixed line telephone, video-on-demand and music-on-demand. While a minimum internet speed of 600 kbps is necessary for comfortable television viewing through the net, a speed of 6 megabits per second is a must for enabling all these services simultaneously.

BSNL has teamed with India Online Network, a company based in Mumbai for providing the television network. The venture is a small part of BSNL’s ambitious target to introduce IPTV in  898 Indian cities with an investment of Rs 800 crores. As of now, such plans are most likely on hold, following the poor beginning in Kolkata.

But why did IPTV fail to take off? The main reason is attributed to Kolkata’s  worn out and back-dated cables which are unable to transmit data beyond 2 megabits per second, woefully short of the required 6 mbps. Admitting the lapse, the chief general manager of Kolkata Telephones, S.K. Chakrabarty said BSNL had undertaken a massive upgradation drive on its cable network which was now complete. New applicants would  get their connections without delay, he assured, adding  pending applications would also be cleared soon.

Kolkata Telephones, (a division of BSNL) was targeting its 1.35 million fixed line telephone subscribers for IPTV connections in the long run, with a monthly charge of Rs 199 for the IPTV package.

However , things are certainly not going to be easy for BSNL. The competition from cable networks (who are switching over to digital control rooms)  and DTH services providers is going to be tough. What’s more, private telecom giants like Bharti Airtel are  eyeing the IPTV market too. Just how far BSNL would have to go to realize its IPTV ambitions remains to be seen. X