SkyStream announced that FASTWEB, operator of the largest IPTV service in Europe with more than 160,000 video subscribers, has deployed its Mediaplex-20 headend system. FASTWEB is using the SkyStream headends for providing 36 channels of "FASTWEB TV," its premium television and video-on-demand service in Milan.

"SkyStream's headend is hardened, reliable and versatile--it will easily support our current expansion, and it will also allow us to expand further in the future with minimal capital costs," said Riccardo Bambini of FASTWEB. "We looked at a range of options, but SkyStream's exceptional technical and sales support ultimately made this an easy decision for us."

FASTWEB'S deployment uses the Mediaplex-20 to encode and deliver more than 36 channels of television using MPEG-2 compression over a mixed fiber and ADSL network. The deployment was facilitated by Omnia, an equipment integrator in Italy and one of SkyStream's key partners in Europe.

"FASTWEB is a pioneer in IP television, with what is arguably the most successful IPTV deployment in the world to date," said Steve Wallbank, general manager of EMEA field operations for SkyStream. "FASTWEB could have chosen any video equipment to expand its TV service, and the fact that it chose Mediaplex-20 speaks volumes about our headend's ability to support large-scale, high-growth deployments."