DS2 Teams Up With Portugal Telecom

Internationally renowned high-speed cable communications provider, DS2, has been selected to supply remotely-managed multi-channel IPTV for Portugal.

The company is to team up with Portugal Telecom, which is Portugal’s primary supplier in the telecommunications industry.

Portugal Telecom will be using UPA-Compliant 200Mbps powerline cables, supplied by DS2, which have been proven to reduce instillation costs, and times, for IPTV services.

One of the main features of Portugal Telecom’s new IPTV plan, is that they can offer their customers both HD and SD channels on differing TVs through providing them with two set-top-boxes (STB).

Part of the attraction of DS2’s powerline technology, is that it allows customers of Portugal Telecom to have their STBs installed anywhere in the house without extra wiring.

The DS2 technology implemented by Portugal Telecoms allows for users to operate their STBs through either a coaxial network set up within the house, or actually using the electrical wiring within the home, for their IPTV.

A large portion of MEO TV customers already use DS2’s 200Mbps products as a means of networking within the home, through the use existing electrical cables.

One of the bugbears facing IPTV providers, is house-wide distribution.

Most customers do not have cabling that will properly support IPTV, and installing cable throughout the entire house is both costly and time consuming, as well as highly disturbing to the customer.

This is not an issue for DS2’s powerline products.

DS2’s 200Mbps powerline products win out over wireless because the bandwidth on wireless is such that HD video is virtually impossible, and interference in built up areas has also proven to be an issue.

The Vice President of Sales at DS2, Victor Dominguez, made a statement about their new 200Mbps products in which he mentioned that, not only would it be a secure method of delivering HD video, it will also allow for easy upgrade to 400Mpbs.

According to industry sources, this new UPA-compliant technology makes IPTV delivered in this fashion a more compelling offer, against that of satellite or cable-TV.

Portugal Telecom is expecting notable increases in their client base as a result of this new powerline product.

At this stage, the only equipment manufacturers working with Portugal Telecom to have attained the ‘UPA Plug Tested’ logo, are Comtrend Communications and Corinex Communications.