CenturyLink said it has launched its IP-based Prism TV service in Seattle, a debut that will apply some additional video pressure on incumbent MSO Comcast as well as DirecTV-AT&T and Dish Network.
CenturyLink noted that its IPTV service will be delivered via its 1-Gig fiber optic network in Seattle. Prism TV, the company said, is currently available to 100,000 homes and 5,500 business locations in the Seattle area, including neighborhoods such as West Seattle, Ballard, Beacon Hill, Central District, Capitol Hill, Mount Baker and Green Lake.
“We appreciate the City of Seattle’s role in modernizing outdated regulations that allowed us to build our fiber optic network and bring new competitive choices to the market, first our gigabit service and now Prism TV,” Sue Anderson, CenturyLink’s VP of operations for Washington, said in a statement.
In addition to Seattle, CenturyLink has also launched Prism TV in La Crosse and Platteville, Wis.; Columbia and Jefferson City, Mo.; Tallahassee and central and southwest Florida; Las Vegas; central N.C.; Phoenix; Omaha, Neb.; Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Portland; Salt Lake City; and Minneapolis.
Prism TV features a wireless set-top/whole-home DVR, an authenticated mobile app and access to TV Everywhere such as HBO Go, Max Go, Starz Play and Showtime Anytime.
CenturyLink, which is developing an OTT service that can be offered in and out of wireline footprint, ended the second quarter with 258,000 Prism TV customers.
Earlier this year, CenturyLink confirmed that it is evaluating the Reference Design Kit (RDK) as it explores a next-gen version of its IPTV platform. The RDK is a pre-integrated software stack for IP-capable and hybrid IP/QAM set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global. CenturyLink’s Prism TV service is currently powered by Ericsson Mediaroom, the middleware platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in September 2013.
