14 DAY TRIAL // Telecom Italia has begun free trials of its IPTV service in more than a thousand households in 4 Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Bologna and Palermo). Once the trial phase is complete, over 4 million households will be able to access a wide range of content including movies, news, sport, music, reality shows and live events on their TVs over a 4 MB per second ADSL connection
The service offers a wide range of TV programming and video content in high-quality format over ADSL access lines. Commercial service is being rolled out this autumn, initially in 21 cities across Italy (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Palermo, Bari, Naples, Padua, Cagliari, Genoa, Florence, Alessandria, Modena, Venice, Verona, Turin, Trieste, Catania, Brescia, Biella, Sondrio and Reggio Emilia).
Once trials have been completed, over 4 million Italian households will potentially have IPTV coverage.
As well as traditional programmes offered by a selection of TV broadcasters, a whole catalogue of video on demand content is available during this trial phase. Viewers can pause and restart shows whenever they want using a special remote control. Initially, viewers can access around a hundred different films, news, finance, sport (including football, sailing, basketball, volleyball and rugby) and music.
During the trial phase, IPTV users have a special Set Top Box connected to their TV to access content over an Alice 4 Mega link. Users also have an ADSL Wi-Fi modem to which up to 5 PCs can be connected at any one time. An infra-red keyboard allows users to access the Net and send and receive email directly from their TV.
IPTV trials are being conducted with technology partners Alcatel, Microsoft and Pirelli. Alcatel is supplying technologies including the latest generation of ADSL access devices and its "Open Media Suite" set top box video entertainment TV distribution platform. Microsoft has supplied Telecom Italia with its innovative "Microsoft TV IPTV Edition" software, which the company is using to test and offer a new generation of for-payment video services and content. Microsoft and Alcatel are working together to supply operators with complete, integrated solutions designed to accelerate IPTV protocol rollout over existing and next generation networks. Pirelli Broadband Solutions has developed intelligent modular routers that open up a world of high-quality video services that leverage the most advanced home networking solutions (including multiple high-speed Internet connections, Voice Over IP and Wi-Fi) over broadband through a Set Top Box.