Brazilian carrier Oi has launched IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and broadband services with speeds up to 200 Mbps based on its fiber to the home (FTTH) network. When Oi named Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft as its IPTV vendors in July, the carrier said it was expecting to launch IPTV services during the second half of this year.
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The launch announcement was made yesterday in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where Oi has its headquarters. Francisco Valim, Oi’s president, said that “the launch of IPTV service anticipates pay-TV market trends.” Valim pointed out that Oi has invested to expand its fiber optic network installation that goes to the customer’s residence and the company is investing heavily in the IPTV initiative.
It will be a soft launch, starting in some of Rio de Janeiro’s neighborhoods. Afterwards, Oi will make the service available in Belo Horizonte (MG). Other capital cities will follow, but the company is still keeping those locations confidential.
According to Oi, IPTV customers will have access to programming on TVs, tablets and smartphones.
Oi is the fourth largest mobile carrier in Brazil with an 18.83% market share in October. The company also offers land lines and pay-TV via satellite as well as fixed and mobile broadband. The IPTV service is only possible through the Conditional Access Service—SEAC, granted through the regulatory agency, Anatel.
Brazil has 15.7 million pay-TV service subscribers, according to Anatel’s latest numbers. DTH (direct-to-home service) represents the largest share of this number with 9,413,836 subscribers. América Móvil’s companies Embratel and NET Serviços lead with a 52.8% market share, followed by DirecTV Sky with 31.04%.
