For RailWire subscribers, RailTel will introduce Internet Protocol Television services.

RailTel will begin selling Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services to subscribers of its retail broadband service called RailWire on January 26 as a step toward providing significant value-added services to its consumers.

Instead of using broadcast TV, cable TV, or satellite transmissions, IPTV uses the Transmission Control Protocol or Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite to provide television programming and other video material.

The official statement states that RailTel has teamed with Hyderabad-based City Online Media to provide IPTV services to RailWire users under the "ULKA TV" brand.

Users of RailTel Broadband will get access to IPTV material via the company's "ULKA Mini" mobile app and "ULKA LITE" smart TV app, both of which can be downloaded from the Google Play store. The finest video quality available in the market will be delivered by this IPTV service, which will offer the most recent 4K technology and HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding).

In the Eastern and North Eastern parts of the country, which comprise the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and East Uttar Pradesh, IPTV services will be made available starting on January 26, 2023. After evaluating customer feedback, regional demand, and technical logistics, it was said that it would be possible to offer IPTV services to RailTel customers in other locations.

Sanjai Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of RailTel, disclosed to the media that the OFC network it owns spans more than 70% of the country's population, including rural areas.

"RailTel is making progress on several fronts toward establishing a knowledge society with its Pan India high-capacity network. According to Kumar, the Indian government is eager to expand broadband cable services throughout the nation, particularly in rural areas.

He added that IPTV services provided by RailWire will enable the development of smart home services by converting television households to internet households.

"RailTel is committed to improving broadband connection to the country's interior and distant areas in order to narrow the urban-rural digital gap, further promote digital literacy, and quicken the pace of the nation's digital transformation," he said.

The official added that users will be able to use broadband internet services on the same optical fiber pair along with high-definition digital TV channels on RailTel's IP network with this facility.

He said that while Free to Air (FTA) networks could be accessed without a Set Top Box (STB), other channels needed one.

The ULKA TV STB will be an innovative intelligent gadget that functions like a miniature computer. It will offer more than 600 live satellite TV channels, as well as regional stations and well-known OTT programs.

By including a Bluetooth keyboard, this STB will enable two-way communication with TVs to support educational applications without a laptop or PC. Simply connecting a USB camera allows it to offer video conference capabilities as well. With the aid of this STB, IPTV services can also be seen on non-smart TVs.

It is important to highlight that RailWire broadband users will have the option of using LAN or Wi-Fi Access, portable Set-Top-Boxes (Sticks & Boxes), or ULKA TV services.

It will no longer be necessary to install a second cable TV dish antenna or a cable entrance into the house thanks to IPTV services. The service will offer superior quality viewing regardless of cloudy weather or cable losses since it is being supplied over optical fiber.

using several screens One will also be able to view their favorite episodes and movies on TV, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices as long as they have internet connectivity. IPTV services offer smooth streaming, are affordable, and give users the option to record their favorite programs in case they accidentally missed one.

Additionally, IPTV can be used to provide homes with healthcare, education, tax collection, and other public utility services.

The regional Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) set up in RailTel's Network Operations Centers will provide the IPTV Service (NOC).

It is noteworthy that RailTel, a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure and ICT Solutions and Services providers in the country and that it has a Pan-India optic fiber network that covers numerous towns and cities as well as rural areas.

According to the statement, RailTel also has two Tier III data centers that are accredited by MeitY in addition to its robust and dependable network of 61000 RKM and more of optical fiber.

(source : ANI)