WATPA: FW: Internet TV to Debut in October (The Korea Times)

From: Norm Jacknis <norm@jacknis.com>
Date: Mon Aug 21 2006 - 22:41:45 EDT

A little taste of things to come here?

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Internet TV to Debut in October
       
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter, Korea Times, 8/16/06

South Koreans will be able to get the glimpse of Internet protocol (IP) TV
soon as a trial run of the Web-based audio, visual services are due in
October. Wrapping up a long-standing turf war, the Ministry of Information
and Communication Wednesday agreed with the Korean Broadcasting Commission
to jointly start IP TV late this year.

``We aim to designate consortiums that will take charge of the trial by the
end of next month. Then the pilot run will possibly begin in early
October,'' said Kim Woo-seok, an official at the broadcasting commission.
``For the early take-up of potential-rich IPTV, we decided to hook up with
the information ministry. We will check technical viability of the services
through the envisioned trial,'' Kim said. Multiple consortiums, which will
provide the Internet-based TV at hundreds of households each, are expected
to be chosen to be part of the pilot run.

IPTV refers to packet-based real-time broadcasting on the Internet, which
promises much more possibilities for end users compared to traditional video
services. For example, IPTV has no channel limitations as long as the
network doesn't suffer overloads and it enjoys global coverage.

In quest of new growth phase, Korea's high-speed Internet carriers like KT
and Hanaro Telecom has pulled out all the stops to launch the Web TV
services. Wary of the big-sized telecom companies' undercutting their
profits, however, broadcasters claimed they must undertake the promising
IPTV and the row has held back from the compelling offerings.

``We welcome the agreement. We will take part in the test run and offer new
features that TV watchers could not enjoy in the past,'' KT vice president
Shim Ju-kyo said. ``We hope regulatory issues will be addressed this year
and we will be able to commercially launch IPTV early next year,'' Shim
said.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200608/kt2006081617322210230.htm
Received on Mon Aug 21 22:42:37 2006

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