Belgacom TV tops 100,000 three months early

Belgian incumbent Belgacom says it has signed up 100,000 IPTV users three months ahead of schedule. The telco had 102,971 Belgacom TV subscribers at the end of September 2006. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Belgacom launched Belgacom TV on 28 June 2005. In March 2006 it contracted broadband solutions provider Ikanos Communications to deploy its CleverConnect 600 and SmartLeap 8100 equipment to enable the telco to upgrade its TV services to VDSL. The deployment allowed Belgacom to offer high-bandwidth interactive TV services, including on-demand TV programmes and digital video recording. In July 2006 it contracted Alcatel to upgrade its IP network enabling it to expand its provision of triple-play TV, DSL broadband and IP telephony services nationwide. Under the terms of this contract, Alcatel is providing equipment and network and service management for a nationwide network that will deliver high quality voice, data and video services to Belgian residential customers. In October 2006 Belgacom added powerline communications (PLC) technology to its triple-play services. The PLC service will use existing electrical wiring in customers’ homes to connect an ADSL modem to a TV set top box anywhere in the building. Corinex of Canada is supplying Belgacom with PLC products based on technology developed by Spain’s DS2, capable of handling data at 200Mbps.