BT has selected Microsoft"s IPTV - Internet Protocol Television - software platform to deliver TV over broadband connections. The telco will begin trials early next year, with a consumer rollout expected in the summer.
"BT continues to demonstrate its commitment to broadband in the UK through the development of a portfolio of innovative broadband services designed to deliver more and more value to our customers," said Gavin Patterson, group managing director of BT Retail. "BT and Microsoft share a common vision for converged entertainment in the home. TV over broadband services will play an important role in BT"s triple-play offering for consumers. Our approach of over-the-air broadcast and broadband-delivered video-on-demand, interactivity and enhanced support is the perfect solution and complements existing TV propositions already in the UK market. The combination of Microsoft"s best-in-class technology with BT"s 21st-century network will result in an incredibly exciting set of next-generation entertainment and communication services available to consumers across the UK."