Alaska-based operator GCI has expanded the reach of its TiVo offer by four more markets: Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kenai and Soldotna.
GCI, the first North American cable operator to offer the TiVo platform on Pace-made GG1 boxes outfitted with six tuners and a built-in DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem, has already deployed TiVo in Anchorage, Chugiak, Girdwood, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, Juneau, Fairbanks, Eielson AFB, Fort Wainwright, and North Pole.
GCI's TiVo product is now offered to more than 85% of the operator's customer base, a GCI official said via email. "Given how well customers are responding to the service, we will expand availability in 2014."
“With this new service, customers on the Peninsula can now record up to six shows at the same time using only one set-top box,” said GCI SVP of consumer services Paul Landes, in a statement.
Under the deal, announced last August, GCI started off by offering customers the TiVo-built Premiere Q4 four-tuner gateway DVR in tandem with the TiVo Mini, a low-cost IP set-top box, and TiVo Stream, a video transcoding sidecar that delivers video over Wi-Fi to tablets and smartphones on the home network.
The operator, which ended the second quarter with 119,600 basic video subs, began to offer the Pace/TiVo combo in August. The MSO is not saying how many customers have signed up for the TiVo option so far.
Like GCI, Mediacom started off its deployment using TiVo-made equipment, but also has plans to offer TiVo on the Pace XG1.
Other TiVo U.S. partners include Suddenlink Communications, RCN, Cable One, Grande Communications, and Charter Communications, which has not yet outlined its going-forward plans with TiVo after it halted support of leased TiVo Premiere boxes in Dallas-Ft. Worth as of September 10.
