news Internode customers using fibre connections on National Broadband Network (NBN) and Opticomm-based FTTH (Fibre to the Home) network ports can now benefit from the full subscription TV channel suite offered by FetchTV.
FetchTV is usually beamed directly using the ADSL broadband route; with the launch of this facility, Internode claims to be the first Australian ISP to deliver FetchTV’s full subscription TV channel capability over fibre connections.
The service is being rolled out across the country this week, and a commercial trial is being launched on a national basis. The company is “quietly optimistic” that user experience would be as good as suggested by internal testing of the new technical approach, which does not require the underlying network to support ‘IP Multicast’.
During the trial, the service would be using a type of bandwidth reservation that requires a lock down of 6 megabits per second of the customers’ existing FTTH port capacity. The bandwidth would be used to deliver FetchTV’s full subscription service, leaving that much less for normal Internet usage. This requirement might change in the future, but for now, Internode has asked customers opting to participate in the trial to be prepared for a dip in Internet speeds because of the bandwidth sharing.
On special request, however, Internode could also turn off bandwidth reservation, in which case it would become the customer’s responsibility to manage their Internet and TV usage since FetchTV streaming could interrupt routine internet usage. Such customers have the option of turning bandwidth reservation back on in case they find it does not work out for their TV and Internet usage patterns.
Internode is calling for customers on the NBN or Opticomm Fibre networks to try the new service and give feedback on its efficacy. Among the conditions for the trial service listed on Internode’s website, is the requirement that customers call over the phone for installation, as the signup is not available online. The regular FetchTV full service pricing would apply during the trial. Technical support would be available on Internode’s website and live phone support would also be offered to talk the customer through the router configuration process.
Meanwhile, to tie in with the festive season, Internode’s close competitor and Australia’s second largest DSL broadband provider iiNet has announced discounted packages for FetchTV through ADSL. “Over the past year, we’ve been working with FetchTV on some great new product enhancements including expanded content, a new interface and the recently launched iPhone and iPad app,” said Stephen Harley, iiNet’s Chief Product Officer. From 13th December, new and current iiNet, Netspace and Westnet FetchTV customers will be able to save from $4.95 to $9.95 on their monthly subscriptions, depending on their packages.
Image credit: FetchTV
“That coming from you of all posters on Delimiter is hilarious.”
You are just like deteebo, so no surprises here. You want to contribute something useful to this discussion or should we expect more pedantic drivel from you as well?
sorry wrong tab lol
So despite the claims of “insane CVC charges” by Simon Hackett, Internode can actually deliver full Fetch TV without waiting for the official NBN Multicast service.
Hmmm
Indeed.
the CVC rebate (or free CVC) and the pathetic take-up of FetchTV make bandwidth provisioning a non-issue.
If they’re not using multicast, then it’s likely they’re just using conventional TCP/IP (or some other one-to-one protocol). In which case, the real question about this is one of scalability, since it will mean all the users on a node are likely to be using a full 6 Mb/s of their connection during peak time, instead of the meagre amount needed for email, banking, etc.
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