Cable & Wireless To Launch National IPTV Service

Cable & Wireless is to launch the UK’s first national IPTV service via broadband following the signing of a £70 million deal with Inuk Networks.

The five-year agreement will see triple-play service provider Inuk deliver its Freewire television, telephony and broadband services via Cable & Wireless’ nationwide multicast network.

The Freewire package, which was launched last year in universities around the country, currently offers more than 50 channels (see PC Freeview Service To Launch Next Year).

The Cable & Wireless deal will see Inuk’s services launched nationwide from March next year, with channels including the BBC, Channel 4 and Five.

Cable & Wireless’ international business unit operates integrated telecommunications companies in 33 countries offering mobile, broadband, domestic and international fixed line services to residential and business customers.

IPTV service Tiscali TV recently announced a deal with BSkyB that will add the full set of Sky’s basic channels to its channel line up (see Tiscali TV In Sky Channel Deal).

A recent NewsLine column, written by James Myring, associate director at Continental Research, discussed mobile and IPTV and which broadcast method has the brightest future (see The Prospects For Mobile and Internet TV).

Cable & Wireless: www.cw.com