UTStarcom, Inc., a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services, announced that the company provided its mVision end-to-end IPTV solution for a recently completed trial of triple play services in Brazil with Telemar, which will make IP-based television and multimedia services available to its customers utilizing the IP protocol. Today, Telemar offers 15 million fixed lines of telephony service, 8.1 million cellular lines and almost 700,000 Internet lines to the Brazilian market.

"The idea is to offer television channels and video on demand, where the viewers access the desired film at their convenience. Unlike cable TV channels, the new system acts like an interactive TV, making segmented content available, such as entertainment, education, professional training, videoconferencing services, amongst others," said Gilberto Sotto Mayor Jr., Telemar's marketing director.

"The UTStarcom platform, which is already in testing with a content provider in Rio de Janeiro, is feature-rich and has shown adequate levels of quality and reliability in this trial," Mayor added.

"The trial with Telemar, utilizing our mVision IPTV solution, consisted of approximately 2,000 users," said Hitoshi Nagano, area vice president for Brazil at UTStarcom. "UTStarcom's mVision IPTV solution, which features a Network Personal Video Recorder (nPVR), is designed to allow the viewer to access a virtually unlimited amount of digitally recorded and stored content, while also pausing, fast forwarding and rewinding live broadcast television. UTStarcom and its integrator, Promon, are making their Rio de Janeiro-based teams available to Telemar to offer all the support necessary for the carrier to make the trial a success."

The project could be commercially accessible to subscribers by 2006.