The next step in the development of broadband across the country is likely to be “TV over broadband”. This news comes as the BBC, ITV, and BT have all recently clubbed together to announce a joint initiative to provide TV to all of us over high-speed broadband in the near future.
The move is thought to be the first in a whole host of new Freeview channels which will be appearing and do not require subscriptions, and this change could well signal the future of TV as we know it.
The first thing to happen will be the development of TV receivers and set-top boxes that are connected to broadband. These devices will then be able to receive digital TV and video-on-demand content, vastly increasing the number of channels and the type of viewing experience that we are going to have.
Ian Livingston, the chief executive officer of BT, said that “Television and broadband are a compelling combination". And Mark Thomson, the director general of the BBC, has spoken of the “real benefits for consumers” that this will lead to.
It is widely expected that live TV, interactive content and on-demand content will take a huge step forwards when it becomes a reality, but as yet there is no fixed time frame for getting it out to the general public.
On-demand video has become hugely popular over the past year, with the increases in broadband speeds thought to be the main reason. Things like the successful BBC iPlayer will become increasingly popular, and consumers can expect a truly massive selection of such content available when the broadband TV becomes a reality.
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