NEWS: IPTV service to be fine-tuned

FINE TV, an IPTV service in the country, was launched in December 2005 and has about 1,000 subscribers nationwide now, with the bulk of these in the Klang Valley.

Its operator, Network Guidance Sdn Bhd, plans to increase its subscriber base to 22,000 by 2011.

“Before the end of this year, we will revamp our channel packages to have more appeal to our viewers, offer “killer content,” and engage in promotional activities,” Network Guidance president, Ida Rahayu Mohd Noor, told In.Tech.

There are currently 20 channels available on Fine TV and subscribers only need a 1Mbps broadband connection speed.

In the initial stages of rolling out Fine TV, Ida Rahayu said, one of the main challenges the company faced was bandwidth throughput which was beyond its control. Nowadays broadband speeds are much better, and will get even better over the next few years.

She said getting the right content for Fine TV’s viewers was another challenge.

“We cannot offer the same programmes as satellite and ­terrestrial TV stations; we must be different to attract our viewers,” she said.

This, she added, continually tests the depth of Network Guidance’s pockets.

According to Ida Rahayu, Fine TV viewers are attracted to the service because they have the flexibility to watch what they want, when they want.

They can also rewatch a programme as many times as they want, pause at any point during the show, as well as fast forward and rewind. — SUBASHINI SELVARATNAM