RailTel to launch IPTV services over RailWire from 26 January
2 min read . Updated: 19 Jan 2023, 06:31 PM IST
PremiumRailTel has partnered with a Hyderabad-based company City Online Media Private Ltd. a premier IPTV service provider across India which will provide this service under ULKA TV brand
In an effort to provide considerable value-added services to its clients, RailTel, a Mini Ratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, is introducing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services to RailWire subscribers. IPTV is a service that delivers television programming and other visual content using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite.
RailTel has teamed with City Online Media Private Ltd. of Hyderabad, a leading IPTV service provider in India, to offer RailWire users IPTV services under the "ULKA TV" brand.
Users of RailTel Broadband will get access to IPTV material via the company's "ULKA Mini" mobile app and "ULKA LITE" smart TV app, both of which can be downloaded from the Google Play store. The greatest video quality available on the market will be delivered by this IPTV service using the most recent 4K technology and HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding).
Chairman & Managing Director RailTel, Sanjai Kumar said, “The OFC network owned by RailTel reaches to over 70% of the population of the country including rural areas. With its Pan India high-capacity network, RailTel is working towards creating a knowledge society at various fronts. Government of India is keen on expansion of broadband cable services across the country, especially rural areas."
He went on to say that the integration of IPTV services through RailWire has the potential to transform households that rely on traditional television into internet households, providing access to smart services for homes. RailTel is dedicated to expanding broadband access to under-served and remote areas in the country, in order to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas and promote digital literacy, ultimately driving the digital transformation of the country.
The IPTV services are being launched with effect from 26, Jan 2023 in the Eastern and North Eastern region of the country which include states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and East Uttar Pradesh.
The possibilities of extending IPTV services to RailTel customers in other regions will be explored later after assessing feedback, local demand, and technical logistics.
Customers using RailWire broadband will have the option of using LAN, Wi-Fi, or portable Set-Top-Boxes (Sticks & Boxes) to access ULKA TV services. Given that it is being carried by optical fibre, the service will guarantee better viewing no matter the weather or cable failures.
Additionally, IPTV can be used to provide homes with healthcare, education, tax collection, and other public utility services.
The regional Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) set up in RailTel's Network Operations Centers (NOC) will provide the IPTV Service.
