Following close on the heels of Telecom Italia commercially launching its IPTV service using Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom (DT) has also announced that it will use Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform to deliver IPTV services across Germany and France over its VDSL broadband networks. Microsoft will support Deutsche Telekom with joint marketing. The VDSL network, which is currently being extended by T-Com, will permit bandwidth of up to 50 Mbps and is planned for launch starting mid-2006 in 10 major German cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.
Customers will receive regular TV programs and advanced television services, including standard- and high-definition programs, interactive TV, DVR and VoD. AT&T (even excluding BellSouth) is Microsoft's largest IPTV customer worldwide, and now Deutsche Telekom is its largest customer in Europe. This brings Microsoft's IPTV trials and commercial customers to a total of 13.
For more on the DT launch:
- read DT's press release
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