The broadband providers of India, whether they are big names or not are innovating more and more to lure subscribers on a mass scale. The topmost operator when it comes to subscriber addition has surprisingly been the public telecom operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are trying loads of combinations of benefits to attract the subscribers and these include more speeds, unlimited data, free add on benefits like OTT subscriptions among many more. However, there is one benefit that broadband companies have not yet become used to and is very rarely seen. Perhaps, the only big name in the industry which is offering Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is Reliance Jio.
Presence of IPTV In the Current Broadband Scenario
The Mukesh Ambani led telecom operator is one of the few names offering IPTV with its broadband subscription of JioFiber. When you take a JioFiber connection, you will also be provided with a TV connection which will be routed over the internet rather than the traditional dish and satellite setup which the DTH companies provide. This IPTV service removes the need for a conventional Dish setup which requires a hardware installation, and on top of that a separate subscription fee and a Set-Top Box as well. The presence of an IPTV connection removes the need for all of these things. The subscribers just have to sign up for a single broadband connection, and the monthly charges, if any, are added to the single bill.
Why IPTV Proliferation is Around the Corner
Like in the case of JioFiber, most of the subscribers have found their DTH subscriptions to be redundant and in some cases have switched exclusively to IPTV services. Besides, the proliferation of OTT is already reducing the dependency on the conventional cable TV setup. To make it worse for the DTH operators, the new tariff regime rolled out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made things tougher for both the subscribers and broadcasters by pinching their finances. While the consumers have found the new TRAI tariff regime to be more expensive, the broadcasters are also unhappy with the regime on the ground of losing revenue. This means that the subscribers are looking for alternatives to their traditional DTH connections. In such a scenario, the broadband operators can provide some relief to the consumers.
There are of course multiple benefits to IPTV services, however, the broadband providers do not have the resources required to relay IPTV services, whether they are in the form of insufficient fibre layout or others. However, the fact remains that while most of the benefits are becoming equated across all broadband plans and companies, the one providing something more would also be the one to take the lead in this competitive market. While Reliance Jio could not repeat the success of 4G LTE in the case of JioFiber, it has for sure changed the market in little ways, and IPTV remains one of the pillars of that change. From multiple side, whether it is consumers, market forces, the new tariff regime, DTH operator or the broadcasters, the dawn of IPTV is surely around the corner.
