Russian IPTV service heads East

By Chris Dziadul
February 1, 2010 08.46 UK

The Russian telco VimpelCom plans to extend its IPTV service Beeline TV to Urals region this autumn.

Cableman reports that the service, which is currently available only in Moscow and St Petersburg, will also be offered in Yekaterinburg, the main city in the region. Although IPTV penetration in Yekaterinburg is currently low, VimpelCom expects it will reach around 70% of high-rise buildings via its FTTB network by the end of this year.

Beeline TV will offer viewers in the city 130 TV channels, five of which will be in HD, at a cost similar to that currently charged by cable operators. However, Beeline TV will have the advantage of also including a number of interactive features.

IPTV is taking off rapidly in Russia. Cableman quotes figures by ComNews Research that predict the market will grow by 63% this year to reach around 1.6 million households.

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