KPN Global Carrier Services has teamed up with Narrowstep to provide a wholesale Internet TV offering to mobile and fixed network operators, ISPs and content parties. KPN Global is one of the world's largest international wholesale carriers and Narrowstep is the leading European provider of TV over the Internet solutions.
As a part of the deal, which will be launched in October 2007, KPN will offer its global network infrastructure to Narrowstep to extend its Content Distribution Network. Narrowstep believes that by developing its Internet TV platform, the company can deliver the most comprehensive and scalable solutions to world-class carriers like KPN.
David C. McCourt, chairman and CEO of Narrowstep, said, “Our relationship with KPN will allow us to offer our platform to customers in new markets who are serious about managing and monetizing professionally produced video content over the Internet.”
According to Gert-Jan Huizer, VP Portfolio Management within KPN Global Carrier Services, the company has conducted extensive study before deciding to ream up with Narrowstep.
“The combination of their leading edge technology, and our international IP
network and global customer base will enable us to offer the first comprehensive, end to end, wholesale Internet TV service on the market,” he said.
With its comprehensive Internet TV platform, Narrowstep offers users the highest quality, long-form programming, providing them a true TV-like viewing experience over the Internet. The international customers of KPN will be able to make use of the bundled services provided by the company to monetize video content and de-commoditize bandwidth sales.
Narrowstep is a leading provider of Internet TV services supporting over 180 channels worldwide. Narrowstep's proprietary technology platform delivers the highest quality, TV-like experience available on the internet. A pioneer in delivering Internet TV, Narrowstep offers the expertise and technology to move, manage and monetize video content.
KPN is the leading provider of telecommunications services in the Netherlands, serving customers with wireline and wireless telephony-, Internet- and TV services. To business customers, KPN delivers voice-, Internet- and data services as well as fully-managed, outsourced ICT solutions. Both nationally and internationally, KPN provides wholesale network services to third parties, including operators and service providers. In Germany and Belgium, KPN pursues a multi-brand strategy with its mobile operations, and serves multiple customer segments in consumer as well as business markets.
At June 30, 2007, KPN served 5.8 million wireline voice subscribers, 8.8 million mobile customers, 2.5 million Internet customers and 0.3 million TV customers in the Netherlands as well as 16.1 million mobile customers in Germany and Belgium. With 27, 096 individuals (24,881 FTEs), KPN posted revenues of EUR 5.9bn, with an EBITDA of EUR 2.5bn in the first half year of 2007. KPN was incorporated in 1989 and is listed on the Amsterdam, New York, London and Frankfurt stock exchanges.
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Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
