Pushing ahead with a plan announced last fall, Windstream has launched an Internet protocol-based pay TV service over fiber in Lincoln, Neb., where the company does battle with Time Warner Cable.
Launched on April 15, Windstream’s new “Kinetic” TV service is available to about 50,000 homes and runs on the Ericsson Mediaroom platform. It is being offered on Arris-made whole-home HD-DVRs with integrated WiFi and access to a video-on-demand library. Windstream said it would not charge extra for professional installations.
Windstream has lined up several no-contract bundles, starting with a “Basic” TV/Internet combo that costs $59.98 per month, and topping out with a triple- play “Preferred” package that fetches $129.98 per month. Rates for TV-only service are “available upon request,” according to the company.
Windstream said it expects to launch Kinetic to other markets this year. Windstream also offers a video-service bundle through a partnership with Dish Network, and confirmed earlier that it will continue to support the Dish service option in all markets. Windstream ended 2014 with about 385,000 digital TV subs, 1.6 million voice lines and 1.13 million high-speed Internet customers.
For Ericsson, Windstream is a win that comes after the manufacturer rolled out multiscreen upgrades for Mediaroom following its acquisition of the IP-video platform from Microsoft in 2013.
