BT are set to relaunch the BT Vision system with a new service called TV Connect. The system will offer more channels and more video on demand delivered over BT’s broadband network rather than BT paying for Freeview slots as it does now. BT Vision which uses Microsoft technology including Mediaroom has just 575,000 subscribers where as Sky have 10 million and Virgin 3.8 million and BT are looking to increase the subscriber base. I think BT have a considerable amount of work to get the BT broadband network up to delivering HD video across the country, I still can’t get about 2mb on my BT broadband so I won’t be getting many HD channels down my line
BT hopes to kick-start demand for BT Vision, which has 575,000 subscribers against Sky’s 10 million and Virgin’s 3.8 million, by launching a broadband TV system dubbed TV Connect.
The new system will upgrade BT’s broadband network to allow BT Vision to offer more channels, video-on-demand and high-definition TV. It currently offers Freeview channels plus Sky Sports 1 & 2, sports station ESPN, on-demand programmes such as films and catch-up TV.
BT Vision will be able to cut costs by not having to rent extra Freeview slots to show pay-TV channels as it does now.
BT’s wholesale business, which is developing TV Connect, is also likely to sell space on the upgraded network to other TV providers.
A BT spokesman said it was too early to say what BT Vision may offer through TV Connect. “We expect to commercially introduce TV Connect over the next 12 months and are conducting technical trials,” he said.
One thought on “BT to launch new broadband TV service called TV Connect”
I too am a Rural BT broadband user and I’m not expecting any ‘superfast’ braodband anytime soon!
BT (predictably) shot themselves well and truly in the foot when they failed to spot the importance of broadband. In stead of enthusiastically rolling-out, and upgrading their infrastructure they wasted time and took huge profits.
Now that all the technologies that everyone predicted in the early oughties are being delivered, BT has nothing with which to compete. Virgin & Sky invested heavily and put in place a coherent delivery systems.
Consequently BT has left itself as a commodity supplier of relatively unprofitable infrastructure, not profitable services running on that infrastructure.
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I too am a Rural BT broadband user and I’m not expecting any ‘superfast’ braodband anytime soon!
BT (predictably) shot themselves well and truly in the foot when they failed to spot the importance of broadband. In stead of enthusiastically rolling-out, and upgrading their infrastructure they wasted time and took huge profits.
Now that all the technologies that everyone predicted in the early oughties are being delivered, BT has nothing with which to compete. Virgin & Sky invested heavily and put in place a coherent delivery systems.
Consequently BT has left itself as a commodity supplier of relatively unprofitable infrastructure, not profitable services running on that infrastructure.