| Singapore Telecommunications launches IPTV services |
SINGAPORE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Internet service provider Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) on Friday launched Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services.
The local television Channel News Asia reported it was a move aimed at challenging the pay-TV monopoly by its rival StarHub, Singapore's sole cable TV operator.
Named mio TV, the new service will start on Saturday and will be cheaper than StarHub's monthly minimum cable TV fee of 29.96 Singapore dollars (about 20 U.S. dollars), the report said.
The new product will feature 33 channels, including blockbuster movies, a number of BBC channels, free-to-air channels by the local television Media Corp, as well as a Cantonese movie channel.
SingTel said its offering will revolutionize the way Singaporeans watch television. Mio TV allows subscribers full flexibility to watch what they want, when they want, unlike other services which require customers to be tied to program schedules and rigid basic tier packages.
It claimed it will have the largest range of Video on Demand titles on any Singaporean television platform.
Singtel said it will spend 30 million Singapore dollars (about 20 million U.S. dollars) in the current fiscal year to develop the service.
IPTV uses the IP network and communication protocols to deliver television programs to viewers via a broadband connection and a set-top box connected to their television. A key feature of IPTV is its interactivity, allowing for two-way communication between the service provider and the viewer.
Singtel received a license by the government agency the Media Development Authority (MDA) in January to enter the city state's IPTV services market.
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