Deutsche Telekom and Cisco switch on IP TV

T-Online, a division of Deutsche Telekom, is to team up with Cisco to deliver a converged data, voice and video, triple play service over its T-Com broadband network.

This "T-Home" network is based on Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture and the service is delivered with Cisco IP set-top boxes supporting the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform.

T-Home will make the service available to customers in Germany, France and Spain in the second half of 2006.

"Our objective is to offer customers a convenient Plug and Play solution that can be set up and operated both quickly and easily," said Kai-Uwe Ricke, chairman of the board at Deutsche Telekom.

T-Com's video delivery network is based on the Cisco IP NGN architecture and incorporates Cisco 12000 Series routers at the provider edge, Cisco 10008 Series routers as Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) platforms and Cisco Catalyst 6509 Series switches.

T-Home is delivered through a Cisco set top box from the KiSS series called the T-Home X 300T Media Receiver which is one of the first in the world to support Microsoft IPTV Edition. Cisco acquired KiSS Technology in September 2005.

The T-Home X 300T Media Receiver enables high-definition (HD) IPTV and features personal video recorder (PVR) functionality. Its 80-gigabyte hard disk stores up to 70 hours of programming with "time shifting" capabilities that enable users to record preset programs, and even interrupt running programs and continue them later.

The T-Home X 300T supports the Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) standard and features a dual DVB-T tuner as well as and can be controlled remotely over the Internet. It is HD-capable via an HDMI interface and offers Ethernet and SCART ports for additional connectivity and functionality.

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