Inuk Networks announces that 40,000 people are now receiving digital television through the company’s Freewire TV IPTV service. The current size of the Freewire TV customer-base means the company now has more users than any other true IPTV service provider in the UK and more than doubles the total number of UK viewers who receive linear television using IPTV as the delivery mechanism.

Freewire TV is supplied free at the point of entry to students with access to the JANET high speed network which connects all UK universities. Since September 2007, Inuk has successfully rolled out its Freewire TV service to more than 100,000 student bedrooms at over forty universities around the UK. Universities wanting to offer their on-campus students access to multiple channels of digital television can implement the Freewire service with very little effort or cost and without having to install any additional capital equipment.

The Freewire TV service can be delivered over any IP-enabled network using highly bandwidth efficient multicast technology which allows a large number of channels to be carried without significant network loading. Inuk Network’s Freewire delivery platform, over which the Freewire TV service runs, is capable of managing not only the delivery of hundreds of channels of video content but also a carrier class VoIP solution and broadband Internet access.

Commenting on the rapid adoption in the UK Marcus Liassides, CEO at Inuk Networks, said: “As an IPTV platform we get real-time reporting on every single one of our customers and the data is throwing up some very interesting patterns and habits of student TV viewers. Students across the UK are embracing Freewire as their primary TV viewing platform and are on average watching over three and a half hours of TV per day, with the early-evening soaps proving to be most popular. Students are also a lot making use of the built-in ability of the Freewire platform to flip between watching their favourite shows and general web browsing on the computer.”

The next phase of development will see Inuk Networks adding additional premium channels and content to its Freewire TV service as it prepares to launch its residential IPTV offering in the coming months through an exclusive partnership with Cable & Wireless. This groundbreaking deal sees Cable & Wireless providing Inuk with access to the UK’s most advanced nationwide multicast network enabling the delivery of the Freewire TV service to the majority of UK homes. In addition, Inuk will be able to supply bundled telephony and broadband services under the Freewire brand to these residential customers.

Additional notes:

• The basic Freewire TV service is free to users and broadcasts 25 entertainment channels including all the BBC channels, C4, E4, Film 4 and More 4 and digital radio stations.
• Freewire Extra provides 19 additional premium channels including FX, Living and MTV as well as Setanta Sports and costs £9.99 per month.
• There is also a paid-for Freewire International option for access to specialist language channels including Zee TV, B4U and Sony Entertainment TV.