SES AMERICOM to Cease its IP-PRIME IPTV Service by mid-2009

Wow, big news from SES here. We have been watching the movement between IP-prime/NRTC and VIPTV over the past few years and see this as a very interesting time for rural providers. While IPTV hits a few road bumps, our rural broadband solution will help you retain your current subscribers from churning to another provider. Call us today and offer at least a double play to them TODAY!

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Thomas William
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Broadband in a Box
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SES AMERICOM to Cease its IP-PRIME IPTV Service by mid-2009

SES AMERICOM will cease providing its IPTV service in North America – IP-PRIME – by July 31, 2009. The termination of the service is motivated by the slow adoption of IPTV by small and medium size telecom operators as well as by the difficult market outlook for this kind of service.

“In line with its plan, IP-PRIME has contracted IPTV signal delivery agreements with 70 small telecom operators, of which 37 have so far reached commercial stage. However, with a subscriber base of less than ten thousand at the end of November and after more than 2 years of service, the consumer uptake is insufficient to justify continuing operations,” said Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES.

The IP-PRIME service will continue to operate until July 31, 2009. This will offer telecom operators an opportunity to orderly transfer their services and SES AMERICOM, in collaboration with third parties involved in the service, to seek the best option to transition the business.

SES does not expect that the termination of IP-PRIME will materially affect its financial guidance for 2008 and 2009 related to revenues and EBITDA.

EchoStar Pitches Telco TV Package

This is exactly what our partners need to provide triple play to 100% of their customers and beyond!


Thomas William
Vice President of Partner Solutions
Broadband in a Box
1302 Clear Springs Trace
Louisville Kentucky 40223
Direct: (502) 426.2067
Toll Free: (800) 761.9149
Cell: (502) 263.9879
Fax: (502) 515.3710
Email: tomw@bbinabox.com
Download: www.bbinabox.com/docs
Blog: broadbandinabox.blogspot.com
Chat: broadbandinabox@gmail.com
Network: linkedin.com/in/broadbandinabox

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EchoStar Pitches Telco TV Package
NOVEMBER 13, 2008
Discuss >

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- TelcoTV -- Well, folks, it looks like satellite TV figurehead Charlie Ergen, chairman and CEO of Dish Network Corp. , has his hungry eyes on a slice of the IPTV systems market too.

EchoStar Technologies LLC, the set-top and technology unit that split off from Dish Network early this year, is branching further into the telco world with a strategy centered on an all-MPEG-4 video satellite-fed distribution system and an integrated "turn-key" play that bundles in EchoStar's own IPTV set-tops, middleware, and conditional access (CA) system. (See EchoStar Ready to Split.)

EchoStar is pitching the concept to Tier 2 and Tier 3 telcos, though it could also be suitable for cable operators that migrate to IPTV platforms.

The video transport part of the package, introduced in 2007 under the VIP-TV banner, will compete head on with Avail Media Inc. and SES Americom 's IP Prime service. (See EchoStar Unveils ViP-TV.)

VIP-TV's present "proposed" programming transport channel lineup comprises 300 video and music channels. More than 40 are in high definition. Here's what VIP-TV GM Dan Daines told LRTV about it in July:

EchoStar is combining that offering with a more extensive IPTV platform that uses the NagraStar conditional access system (from the Dish-Nagravision SA joint venture), and EchoStar's own middleware and interactive program guide. EchoStar is also in discussions regarding the integration of conditional access systems from other IPTV players, including Latens Systems Ltd. , Verimatrix Inc. , and Widevine Technologies Inc. , according to EchoStar VP of sales and marketing Michael Hawkey.

EchoStar has also developed two IPTV set-tops: an HD-DVR box that can tune to two televisions or provide picture-in-picture in one TV; and a lower-end high-definition box, though this can be converted into a DVR by linking it to an external storage device with USB 2.0 connections.

Although the VIP-TV transport service is ready to roll now, the other turn-key elements should start to enter lab trials early next year, Hawkey says.

But how does EchoStar expect to stand out in a crowded field? Hawkey thinks telcos will give EchoStar more than a look because it's basing everything on an integrated system that's been "tried and tested" to millions of customers: That's a reference to the technology base used by Dish Network.

Beyond that, EchoStar is also looking to add more advanced features, including multi-room DVR functionality and some place-shifting applications from its Sling Media Inc. division.

If all that strategy sounds familiar, it should. EchoStar is also trying to win business in the cable industry with set-tops that use the tru2way platform. The company has acknowledged that winning cable's trust will be a significant challenge, but remains confident MSOs will give EchoStar a shot if the tech firm can offer competitive pricing and advanced product feature sets. (See EchoStar Blazing Way to Tru2way .)

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News