The city is all set to get another Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and direct-to-home (DTH) services within this year. Bharti Airtel is aiming to launch both the services simultaneously. This follows the Union Cabinet’s approval of down-linking norms for IPTV last month.

IPTV was part of Airtel’s ambitious triple play offer, which proposed to provide Internet, television and landline telephone connections through the same cable line. Bharti Airtel was ready to start working on the project long back but it was awaiting the Centre’s clearance.

The Union government has given permission to the broadcasters to share their channels with IPTV providers. Earlier the broadcasters were permitted to share their channels with cable and DTH providers only.

An Airtel official said IPTV will be first launched in Delhi, and the DTH service in about four cities at the same time. At present Tata Sky, Dish TV and Reliance Communications’ Big TV are providing DTH service to Kolkata’s television viewers. Airtel hopes to fare better than the existing service providers. The service provider will introduce DTH in around 5,000 towns and villages.

It now seems that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), which failed to provide IPTV service to most of the applicants, might have a tough time with a competitor in the city. IPTV is an important part of Airtel’s media business as it will help the company to expand its business in the metropolises. Airtel’s business division, Telemedia, provides broadband and landline services to about 2.5 million customers in 95 cities. It expects a growth in business with the launch of IPTV.

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