UTStarcom flying solo into IP video

UTStarcom today added its name to the ever-growing list of access vendors promoting a telco video vision. But unlike most of the others, whose strategy revolves around large DSLAMs and lots of partners, the Alameda, Calif.-based company is putting out an end-to-end system on its own.

The mVision platform, which includes an encoding platform, a video switch, set-top boxes and associated management software, was built with large telcos in mind, said Jeff Paine, vice president of strategic marketing for UTStarcom. The company, which has yet to make significant inroads in the U.S. DSLAM market, has gotten its feet wet by putting together large networks in Asia that would make even some RBOC projects look relatively small.

"We’re coming from China where a typical network starts at 1 million and goes up," Paine said.

At the same time, the company believes telco video technology is too immature to consider building a traditional partner program.

"You can not go the echo system route. If you look at various flavors of set-tops, user interfaces, middleware, etc, you’ve got a half dozen of not fully baked research projects," he said.

Similar to incumbent access vendors such as Alcatel, Adtran and AFC, UTStarcom is wrapping its equipment in a series of applications aimed at telcos. One of the more sophisticated is mVision Teleshifting. The service allows subscribers to watch any broadcast TV program or premium video content "Internet style" at any time they wish, and record weeks or months of content. Indeed, according to Paine, giving users a new model of watching video may be the key to large telcos’ video strategy.

"The broadcast model is antithetical," he said. "It assumes one guy decides what goes out when. I think most of these carriers will create virtual channels."

Additionally, because it is one of the few companies to have both traditional access and wireless equipment in its product portfolio, UTStarcom is looking ahead to services that will blend the two elements. Among the early potential applications--programming a network-based personal video recorder from a wireless handset.

Perhaps of more immediate importance is the expertise the company can provide carriers that want to rely on a significant amount of video revenue from pay-per-view. That could include traditional broadcasts that have been stored in the network, Paine said.

"Most of the content we think will migrate to unicast," he said. "You’re creating not only a direct-to-consumer model, you’ve really replicated the mobile cellular market. One thing our system can do is charge by the minute."