TMCnet News
Shanghai Telecom to use Siemens Solution to Provide IPTV in ChinaTMCnet Associate Editor
Siemens announced Wednesday that it will be collaborating with Chinese broadband operator Shanghai Telecom and Shanghai Media Group to offer IPTV to 5,000 households in the Shanghai borough of Pudong at the end of February. According to a news release, Shanghai Telecom has been testing the Siemens SURPASS Home Entertainment solution and is banking on industry analysts’ predictions that China’s IPTV subscribers will grow to about 4.5 million by 2008. There is an estimated 25 million broadband users and 360 million television viewers in China, many of whom will migrate to IPTV services over the next five years. The Siemens IPTV solution will enable Shanghai Telecom to provide its subscribers, via a DSL connection and a set-top box, with television programming, Internet access, video on demand, digital recording of television programs and video conferencing made possible by a Web camera placed on the television set. Interactive wagering during live sports telecasts - popular in China - will also be available to subscribers. Built on an open, standards-based architecture, the Siemens SURPASS Home Entertainment solution provides rich user experiences, efficient back-office management tools and the building blocks for complete convergence of entertainment, communication and smart home solutions. These are key components of the Siemens LifeWorks philosophy, a vision for anytime and anywhere digital media delivery without barriers. More than 75 U.S. regional operators are already using the SURPASS Home Entertainment portfolio. Globally, Siemens IPTV contracts now cover more than 38 million broadband lines. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/communications. Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for TMCnet and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page. |