main competition is cable. Murray notes that video over wireless is not yet viable, as the continuity of data is much more critical with video. Therefore, SureWest reigns.
But what about the OSS/BSS side. Are there specific OSS/BSS challenges to offering IPTV? "Actually, we have found through our experience using the IP platform that the Video specific auto provisioning is no more difficult in its nature than our traditional telephone provisioning," says Matt Riley, Director of ITS Business Solutions for SureWest. "In fact, we have found it to be simpler."
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"The bar," says Murray, "is what the cablecos have." |
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monitored network. That's immensely important, as a public already conditioned to associate TV service with cable rather than with telcos may just be looking for any reason to decide that their initial assumption was correct.
However, Murray also believes telcos like SureWest have a natural edge over cable because "IP protocol is the foundation to add future interactive services. Currently we offer voice, video, and data with the same protocol
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How so? "The true challenge we’ve found is in the provisioning of an overall triple play service in an automated fashion due to the sheer volume of network devices and back office applications that must all be provisioned timely and accurately to turn up service on a single order," says Riley. "There is a lot of work on the “plumbing” between the various systems and the end devices to provide all the necessary information at the necessary times to bring the service up or tear it down. We believe this to be the case whether it is managed on an IP Video platform or otherwise. Anytime you bring in all the different incarnations of order types, product offerings, and pricing plans, the multiple service provisioning gets quite complex quickly. We have focused our effort on building a SOA compliant loosely coupled system that allows for a single provisioning flow that can accommodate all the complexity of our IP centric network without being inherently difficult and complex itself to manage. We see a lot of value in this area. It allows us to provision legacy systems or IP systems with the ability to leverage the IP technology more extensively in the future without having to worrying about how to maintain our existing infrastructure and legacy devices."
Furthermore, Murray notes that SureWest combats issues like jitter, delay, and packet loss through a very closely controlled and
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over one network. This helps to simplify design and ultimately reduce cost."
But SureWest is not without additional challenges. As they are confined, for the moment, to a relatively small geographic area, they have seen "higher churn due to people moving out of the area," says Murray. In addition, he notes that "people are more price sensitive."
So that's a challenge.
And what will happen as things progress? Will SureWest grow beyond its present market? Its expansion into Kansas City implies that it is willing to do so. Where does SureWest see itself in five years? What is its core goal? "To Continue to grow and position our network to provide services to our customers when, where and how they want it delivered," says Murray. That's a goal that any company should have, and any customer can appreciate.
In the end, SureWest is not alone in its ability to provide cutting edge IPTV to its customer base. The company is one of many smaller ILECs and remaining CLECs to prove that telcos still have a lot of fight left in them, whether against cable or other telcos or a challenging economy. We look forward to seeing the fight continue.
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