These developments are all a surprise to me, as LIME, back then called C&W Jamaica when I worked there 2001AD to 2004AD as a Network Maintenance Technician based at PMBK/NRTH Exchange, rarely kept their word on timelines for product launches. Interestingly too as FLOW in also agreeing to drop their rates to the JA$5.00 as stipulated by interim Telecom Regulator OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) they have also announced their intentions for their IPTV Streaming “TV Anywhere” Service, FLowToGo , which promises to deliver FLOW Cable Services to Wi-Fi connected devices.
Essentially this means that FLOW is planning to use its army of Wireless Routers it has been giving away to customers to create an ad-hoc Wi-Fi Networks that FLOW customers with registered smartphones, Tablets and Laptops can log on to and watch Cable TV, a clone of the strategy by Comcast XFinity Service in the USA.
FlowToGo is actually more of a fear response to the coming of Netflix to Latin America and the Caribbean as asserted in FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct . No doubt LIME is taking advantage of the IPTV Streaming License from the Broadcasting Commission to introduce this new Service to Jamaica in 2013AD ensuring that they can legally stream over anyone’s Internet Gateway or ISP (Internet Service Provider) be it Wired, Wireless or Fiber Optic. LIME is apparently also being driven by a fear response of the coming of Netflix to the Caribbean and Latin America, a signal that there is indeed a market in Jamaica for Streaming Television.
LIME’s parent CWC (Cable &Wireless Communications) apparently has enough faith in the successful results of the DVB-H Platform for LIME TV that they had decided from October 2011AD to go to an IPTV Streaming Platform in Jamaica and Barbados by the First Quarter of 2012AD. The Barbados Service was launched in April of 2012AD, thus making Barbados the first guinea pig for IPTV Streaming in the Caribbean for LIME.
This new Serviceis basically a VAS (Value Added Services) that piggybacks on the 3G and coming Caribbean-wide 4G Network from LIME in December 2012 as note in LIME’s 4G Experience Centers challenge the Rise of Dekal Wireless Dragon . The IPTV version LIME TV, is built in partnership with Juniper Networks providing the hardware and Avail-TVN providing the Content for broadcasting. The IPTV version of LIME TV is said to be packing more channels including:
- ABC
- CBC
- NBC
- ESPN
- MTV
- Nickelodeon
- Warner Bros sponsored channels
- BBC America
- HBO and
- Max (formerly Cinemax)
And what’s a Service without specs to speculate about:
- MPEG-4 Compressed Video Stream for efficient bandwidth usage
- 3D Capable (Triple Play Provider FLOW , take note!!!!)
- 130+ channels
- Streaming support to 3G Capable Set Top boxes, smartphones and Tablets
- ABR (Adaptive Bit Rate), meaning ramp down of the 3G speed in areas that have high terrestrial noise
- TV Anywhere on any device be it Laptop, smartphone or Tablet, once there’s Internet access. This is good as it means you can get LIME TV over any Internet connection be it 3G, Cable Broadband, ADSL or even Wi-Fi
LIME TV may also be coming over a new FTTH Service in First Quarter of 2013AD as Fixed Line is a Service that is on its way out in the next three (3) years to be replaced by FTTH (Fiber to the Home). FTTH is a Triple Play Service to compete with FLOW and is a coming Fixed Line replacement for ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line).
Possibly powered by content from Avail-TVN and with Juniper Networks gear, since November 2011AD LIME has been secretly testing a FTTH (Fiber to the House) Network in upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine as spoken of in Kelroy’s article LIME Jamaica rolls out 100 Mbps ‘Fibre to the Home .
LIME TV with a Flavour of Fiber Optic in 2013AD as well? More on LIME’s super-secret FTTH Project in another article!
Interestingly the Media placed little emphasis on this announcement of IPTV Streaming Service “LIME TV” on this most ominous of days. Sunday July 15 th 2012AD was also the date for the launch of Flat Cross Network Calling Rate or Tariff of JA$5.00 regulated interim by the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and announced earlier in June 5 th 2012AD and the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) new Telecoms Tax .
Most likely because of the furore created by Digicel when they had launched their “Sweetest Deal” combined with a lawsuit against the OUR challenging their authority to regulate Cross Network rates helps sell more newspapers. Digicel’s lawsuit was also protesting the lack of Natural Justice in not being properly informed of the impending rate cut as pointed out in Digicel launches “4G” Mobile and JA$2.89 Sweeter Deal in a bid for Prepaid Extinction .
News update: Digicel has lost the battle on Friday July 13 th 2012 fodder for another article on the historical significance of this ruling and what it means for the Telecoms Sector. No wonder with all this going on the announcement of an IPTV Streaming version of LIME TV would get buried in the Media! Fodder yet again for another article on its implications for the Telecoms Sector!
