BBC Preps Online TV Premier

BBC Preps Online TV Premier

The BBC is premiering content through its broadband portal (only available to UK). Though only a very limited ammount of TV is available at the moment, much of the radio programming is available through the BBC Radio Player (a branded Real player) which allows radio programmes to be listened to for up to a week after they've been broadcast. They are going to follow suit with TV.

Currently most of the UK is on 2Mb/s broadband (and contended at 50:1) but local loop unbundlers (LLU) are now starting to offer 8Mbs/ and one player has announced they will be launching 18Mb/s ADS:2+ services in the near future though only to 45 exchanges initially.

In France 18-22Mb/s is now the norm, with prices starting at 15 Euros per month including Internet, TV and voice packages. This will happen in the UK, especially when BT's 21CN is rolled-out.

Internet Protocol (TV (IPTV) is the way of the future, and currently Ofcom is sitting on the bench with respect to regulation as theyll have great difficulty policing out of UK content.

However for IPTV to succeed, local caching of content needs to occur near theexchanges or backhaul becomes a major headache (and financial nightmare) which means it will have to be stored. Maybe Ofcom can regulate at that level.

The BBC knows traditional broadcasting is going to (at least eventually) give way to IPTV and you can be sure they'll be there ready for it.