First IPTV launches

BDCOM Online Ltd has introduced IPTV (internet protocol television) service in the country, the first of its kind.

The IPTV was rolled out on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, officials of BDCOM Online told the leaders of Telecom Reporters' Network Bangladesh (TRNB) at a programme in Dhanmondi yesterday.

One of the leading internet service providers in Bangladesh, the company says it has rolled out the service under its new package – Broadband360°.

Apart from the IPTV service, BDCOM Online will also offer existing internet and voice-based internet telephony service and all these packages together will be called “Triple Play Service”.

The speed of the package is expected to be about 100mbps, said SM Golam Faruk Alamgir Arman, managing director of the company.

He says the company is offering broadband internet from the beginning and added IP telephony service in the last one decade with a market share of 60 percent.

“Now, we have added IPTV service where customers can enjoy about 32 television channels online and will get access to about 120 television channels gradually.”

Since the rollout, the company has provided about two dozen connections and selected 500 clients from 1,500 interested one.

“IPTV is still at the incubation level and it will take a few more days to run the service fully,” Arman added.

The introduction of the IPTV service came after the telecom regulator lifted the bar on the service in October last year.

Broadband360° is providing services to both home users and business firms and giving safe broadband internet with parental control facilities.

The service allows subscribers to control internet use by children, helping them to be in charge when it comes to how much time kids would be allowed to use it and the types of contents they will be allowed to access.

BDCOM Online is providing huge subsidies on telephone sets and routers to make the service popular.

Customers are getting 75mbps for home service at a monthly fee of Tk 2,999. The fee is Tk 3,999 for 100mbps.

For businesses, the monthly cost is Tk 9,999 for 75mbps and Tk 11,999 for 100mbps.

BDCOM, which was listed on the stockmarket in 2001, is the only internet service provider in Bangladesh that has laid fibre optic cable across the country.