BSNL launches IPTV in Haryana

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) launched Interactive Personalised Television and Video Services (IPTV) for its customers in the Haryana circle, in a bid to tide over its falling landline subscribers.

BSNL launched the service in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ambala in association with Smart Digivision. “We expect to have one lakh IPTV subscribers in the country by March,” BSNL CMD Kuldeep Goyal said. The wireline subscriber basedecreased to 38.05 million in the month of November 2008 against 38.22 million subscribers in October 2008. The Smart TV Group, consisting Smart Digivision Pvt Ltd and Smart Broadband Services Pvt Ltd, has entered into long term contracts with MTNL and BSNL for providing co-branded interactive video services to their customers in 54 large cities across India.

HFCL promoter Mahendra Nahata, who is also the chairman of Smart Digivision Pvt, said that the company’s engagement with BSNL reflects Smart Digivision’s long term strategy to become consumers’ preferred entertainment provider. He further added that the company plans to have three million IPTV subscribers in next four years.