SureWest plans HDTV over IP broadband
SureWest Communications nest month will begin offering high-definition television over its Internet Protocol fiber network.
The Northern California telecom holding company said in a news release that its service is the first IP-based network to offer commercial HDTV in the United States.
SureWest Chief Tech Officer Bill DeMuth said the move positioned his company for the next steps in the Internet television market.
"Using IP technology over our fiber-optic network offers the potential for increased clarity to the HD experience and will allow SureWest to offer a variety of emerging video products, while maintaining the area's fastest high-speed Internet service," said DeMuth.
The system has been undergoing beta testing and will move to a final round of trials this week.
SureWest's broadband is available through a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network of 80,000 marketable homes in the Sacramento area. The network runs at 10 megabits per second.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International