Ohio's Buckeye CableSystem this summer will initiate an IPTV test using BigBand Networks' IP video solution, to offer customers linear TV on PCs and other devices.
Buckeye will use BigBand's vIP Pass, which uses a proprietary technology to offload IP video traffic from a cable-modem termination system, as well as the vendor's CVEx control-plane software to manage delivery across RF and IP transport layers. The operator has selected Verimatrix for its digital TV security solutions for the trial period.
"We are evolving our network capabilities and video services to meet the demands of the next-generation of multitasking viewers by offering them the content they want to watch without creating an additional silo for IP video delivery," Buckeye chief technology officer Joe Jensen said in a statement.
Buckeye last year rolled out BigBand's switched digital video solution. The operator serves more than 150,000 customers in the Toledo, Ohio, area.
Buckeye's test marks the first publicly announced deployment of vIP Pass in North America. The BigBand solution is currently deployed by Korea's LG Powercom, an operator with 2.3 million subscribers, delivering IPTV services to PCs and IP set-top boxes.
Cable operators of all sizes are looking closely at delivering IP video to subscribers, looking to cater to growing demand for accessing content on a variety of devices.
