EchoStar Signs First IPTV Customer

EchoStar Satellite Services announced an agreement to provide video-transport service to Canby Telcom, a small telco in northwest Oregon, which will receive transport of up to 42 HD channels to its IPTV headend.

Canby Telcom had previously been a customer of SES Americom's IP-Prime service, which that satellite operator is discontinuing effective July 31.

In March, EchoStar announced a program to provide qualified IP-Prime customers with its ViP-TV transport service, replacement satellite receivers and standard professional installation.

Other telcos are testing EchoStar's transport service but the company has not yet completed agreements with any aside from Canby Telcom, according to director of corporate communications Marc Lumpkin.

Canby Telcom, in Canby, Ore., provides information, communication and entertainment services to more than 8,000 customers. Its IPTV service offers more than 200 TV channels, an interactive program guide, video-on-demand, pay-per-view and caller ID on TV.

EchoStar's ViP-TV transport service, launched in 2007, can deliver approximately 250 channels in MPEG-4 format.