Tut Systems, Inc. announced that Golden Belt Telephone Association of Rush Center, Kansas, has deployed its Astria(R) digital headend solution for delivering IPTV services over their xDSL network. Golden Belt becomes the third telecommunications service provider in Kansas to deploy a Tut Systems digital TV platform.

Golden Belt will be delivering digital TV to its customers as part of a bundled triple play of voice, data and video. Tut Systems is providing a fully integrated IPTV digital headend system based on its industry leading Astria Content Processor and iViewTV middleware. The design, integration and deployment of Golden Belt's IPTV system was a collaborative effort between Millennium Networks, a telecommunication engineering and integration firm, and Tut Systems' system integration team.



As part of its service, Golden Belt plans to offer its subscribers more than 120 entertainment channels, including national broadcast and premium TV, local channels, and a number of Pay Per View channels. All services will be delivered to consumer homes over an upgraded broadband network consisting of Alcatel's 1677 SONET Link, Redback Networks' SmartEdge GigE router, and AFC's Access Max DSL equipment.

The Golden Belt Telephone Association presently operates 18 exchanges, serving nearly 6,000 subscribers, with over 3,072 miles of line in Barton, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Gove, Hodgeman, Lane, Ness, Pawnee, Rush, and Trego Counties.