Kasenna announces that the Clarksville, Tennessee Department of Electricity has deployed a new digital video service based on Kasenna LivingRoom middleware and MediaBase video servers. The new video service, called CDE Lightband, is a triple-play offering that features 200 channels of high-quality digital video, an interactive programming guide, and video on demand service, along with 10Mbps Internet and telephony services.

With this deployment, CDE becomes one of the leaders of a new trend for utilities to reduce operating expenses and leverage their infrastructure by offering new services to subscribers. The CDE was interested in deploying fiber to properties in its service area near Nashville in order to implement automated meter checks. With a network proposed, however, the utility realized that it could drive new revenues by adding triple play services to the network. In a citywide referendum held in late 2006, the CDE plan was approved by 72 percent of voters.

The Department of Electricity began offering CDE Lightband to initial subscribers early this year and the service is now available to some 5,000 homes, with full deployment to all of the city's 55,000 homes and businesses expected around the end of 2008. While the subscriber response rate has been outstanding, the CDE has been careful to announce service availability only as the build-out is finished so that it can provide an immediate response to customers who want to subscribe.