Belarusian national fixed line operator Beltelecom says it has completed upgrade works on its ZALA-branded IPTV service, extending support into regional centres. The operator says the decision to deploy its IPTV platform in its regional data centres will reduce the load on the telco’s data transmission network when processing individual (i.e. unicast) requests for services from users. By moving the IPTV platform further from the central hub, Beltelecom’s regional networks will be better able to deliver video-on-demand, time shift TV and other IPTV interactive functions to meet future demand. Broadcast of TV channels in real time mode (i.e. multicast) will still be provided by the main platform, it said.
The national PTO says it currently has 290,000 ZALA subscribers, including more than 20,000 in the capital Minsk and the remainder in regional centres. Beltelecom launched its first IPTV service in 2008 before rebranding it ZALA a year later.