Broadband

Sparklight to launch IP-based TV service

Jan. 7, 2021

The move to IPTV is an important part of its efforts to enable 10G capabilities, Sparklight sources said.

Sparklight says it plans to launch an IP-based TV service, dubbed Sparklight TV, early this year. The service provider says the new service will offer cloud-based video programming to residential and business customers across its footprint by the end of the year.

Sparklight TV will be delivered via an app designed to run on such streaming devices as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. The service will leverage the MOBITV CONNECT platform to support video on demand, program restart, and DVR capabilities, among others (see "NCTC Taps MobiTV for App-Based Pay TV Delivery"; Sparklight, formerly Cable One, is an NCTC member).

The move to IPTV is an important part of its efforts to enable 10G capabilities, Sparklight sources said. “Our transition to IP-based TV service will enable us to reclaim spectrum in our network needed to continue to expand the capabilities and speeds of our core high speed data product and provide the communities we serve with the fastest and most reliable internet service,” said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of technology services. “This is even more critical now, with the tremendous increase in customers working and learning from home.

“We continue to make significant investments in deploying fiber deeper and closer to our customers to not only enhance reliability, speed and performance, but lay the groundwork for the increased speeds of the future,” Johnson continued. “The digital needs of our residential and business customers are advancing rapidly, and we are actively working to not only meet but exceed those needs by creating a fast and reliable network that will support next generation technology.”

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.