Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by PT Comunicações for its IPTV commercial service meo. The project includes broadcast TV and video on demand, featuring high definition-quality picture resolution, as well as a range of user-friendly features like an intuitive electronic program guide and the ability to pause and rewind live TV.

Marketed under the carrier’s meo suite of services, PT Comunicações can now offer customers a total triple play package (IPTV, high speed Internet and IP telephony), based on Alcatel-Lucent’s IP-based broadband access network infrastructure and comprehensive services integration solution and end-to-end video solution, which is based on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform. With meo, customers in Portugal can now receive broadcast TV, video on demand, and personal video recorder functionality.

The commercial service launched last week, covers subscribers in Lisbon, O’Porto and Castelo Branco.

In a first phase, the service will use 78 TV channels (2 of them with high definition) but this number will evolve to several hundred channels. Alcatel-Lucent leverages its unique services integration capabilities to bring together the network infrastructure and software platforms required to deliver a superior user experience.

Alcatel-Lucent solution allows a customized on-demand service for each customer, enabling viewers to create their own schedule of TV programs and integrates an OSS-BSS interface that facilitates the integration between PT Comunicações’ OSSs/BSSs and the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. This provides triple play customers with the ability to self-provision their IPTV services via the TV screen, including the ability to modify account information and specific services.A residential gateway and a set-top box will be placed in each subscriber home, including digital video recording capabilities up to 160 hours.