NEW DELHI: Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has commercially launched India’s first 3G-driven mobile television service with the help of Alcatel-Lucent in collaboration with Aksh Optifibre.
This new mobile TV service makes multimedia and entertainment a reality for millions of MTNL mobile subscribers in the metro cities of Delhi and Mumbai. The service was launched in March 2010.
Specifically, Aksh has leveraged Alcatel-Lucent’s cost-effective, flexible mobile streaming server to provide an enhanced user experience with its bandwidth adaptation and video optimisation capabilities as well as enable generate additional revenue for MTNL.
“We are proud to enable India ‘s first 3G mobile TV in Delhi and Mumbai. Mobile TV as a value added feature epitomizes convergence in technology realising the distant dream of live television viewing on the move. Our association with Alcatel-Lucent enables us to materialize that Indian 3G subscriber’s aspiration for a revolutionary product,” said Aksh Optifibre managing director Dr Kailash Choudhari.
“Streaming video is the fastest growing data service and is a key enabler for mobile operators to justify investment in 3G and LTE technologies,” said Alcatel-Lucent, India managing director Vivek Mohan. “Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile streaming server offers an exceptional viewing experience, high quality video from the very first video frame, and fast and seamless stream switching when zapping between TV channels.”
Alcatel-Lucent will provide its Mobile Streaming Server (also known in the market as pvServer); an off-the-shelf solution to launch video services on 2.5G and 3G networks. The Mobile Streaming Server supports all types of standard-based media formats and dynamic switching from high-bit rate to low-bit rate streaming based on network coverage and bandwidth availability, hence lowering cost of ownership.
It offers enhancements to all aspects of user experience, including fast start-up, bit rate adaption, quality video from frame 1 and seamless stream switching. The solution also helps monetise the mobile TV service by providing open interfaces that enable pre-roll, in-stream and post-roll ad insertion for any mobile video application.
The new mobile TV service helps Aksh Optifiber extend its existing IPTV service, iControl, currently offered to the MTNL subscribers. The new partnership also further cements Alcatel-Lucent’s role in the development of new advanced mobile services for MTNL and of 3G in India.
