Television viewers in Delhi have reason to cheer. MTNL plans to increase the number of channels on IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) to 72 by the end of this month. Only 21 channels are available as of now. The company had recently scaled up services in Mumbai, where it now offers 100 channels.

MTNL had launched the service in November last year and has given 400 connections up till now. “ Once the number of channels go upto 72, we will market the scheme more aggressively. Our target is to give 5000 connections by the end of March and 50,000 connections by next year,” said A.K. Arora, executive director, MTNL.

To avail of the IPTV service, consumers need to have a MTNL broadband connection. Television channels are encoded in IP format and delivered to the television set through a Set Top Box.

IPTV offers several advantages over TV cable and satellite technologies. Along with airing channels, the service allows for time-shifted TV, which means consumers can watch programs upto a week old.