Satellite broadcaster DBS Satellite Services (1998) Ltd. (YES) wants a landline option. Sources inform ''Globes'' that the company is participating in a trial to test fiber optic transmissions underway by Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) (TASE: ELEC.B22) in Kiryat Shmona. YES will allot set-top boxes for the trial to test the transmission of HD TV signals over IEC's fiber optic network.
YES's decision to be a passive participant in the trial indicates the company's thoughts about the future. A top YES executive said that IEC asked the broadcaster for the set-top boxes, and that YES is not involved in the trial beyond that.
The source added, however, that it was no secret that strategically, the company was interested in a landline option. "The fact that we've entered the Internet video-on-demand (VOD) market proves that we know how to transmit video over IP, and it's clear that as networks become faster and allow higher speeds to customers, we'll definitely look into it."
As for the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Finance, IEC's fiber optic trial in Kiryat Shmona is one of the most important measures by the present government to increase competition in telecommunications infrastructure.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 27, 2010
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