VANCOUVER – In an effort to bring a stronger fourth leg to its connectivity bundle (wireline phone, Internet, wireless and digital TV), Telus today announced it will add satellite television this year.
The company has signed a partnership agreement with Bell Canada – and the two have already been working together on the project since the beginning of 2009, Telus CEO Darren Entwistle told a press conference after the company’s annual general meeting today in Ottawa.
On the wireline digital TV side, the western-based telco said today it surpassed 100,000 subscribers in April, which are spread across its territories in Alberta, British Columbia and Eastern Quebec. Since launching Telus TV, the company has added up to 33 high definition channels (depending on the region), personal video recorder (PVR) capabilities, and HD video on demand.
And despite the new investment in satellite TV delivery, don’t expect Telus to slow down the wired IPTV rollout, added Entwistle. Satellite will fill gaps and allow the company to sign up television customers more quickly in Alberta and British Columbia (the territories it is limited to), not replace IPTV. “I am satisfied with the progress that we are making on the IPTV front, and the goal with respect to satellite TV is to complement what we’ve been doing on IPTV,” he said.
“Clearly it takes time for us to expand our wireline infrastructure in support of the addressable market for IPTV, so to have a complementary satellite TV offering that gives very significant geographic coverage across Alberta and BC to complement what we are doing with the core IPTV is a sensible and strategic move.”
The company’s new satellite TV service will let the company fill in TV service gaps in a real hurry, or in release-speak, “complement Telus’ current IP-based TV service by enabling the company to more quickly expand the TV home bundle addressable market with wireline, wireless, Internet and entertainment services for more than 90 per cent of households across British Columbia and Alberta.”
It will also put some serious pressure on Shaw Communications which has purchased spectrum but has not launched its own fourth bundle leg: wireless. As well, the current Bell TV line-up of high definition channels which Telus will have access to, outstrips Shaw Cable’s HD roster.
Telus Satellite TV will feature more than 500 digital channels, more than 70 HD channels, pay per view, an interactive programming guide, and time shifting and will be delivered using Bell Canada’s existing satellite infrastructure and consumer premises equipment.
However, all of the branding, service and fulfillment will be Telus. “The product will be unique to Telus,” said Entwistle. The electronic program guide will reflect the Telus branding and company employees will do installs and customer care.
“We will have to mobilize all of those functions and that is what we have been working on since the start of 2009 and that’s why it takes time to bring a product like this to the marketplace,” he added.
– Greg O’Brien
