Eircom enters television market
Eircom has entered the television market offering 34 channels in direct competition with cable and satellite giants UPC and Sky.
The eVision service will be available to about 450,000 people and carries the main Irish stations, and BBC and Channel 4, and the option of Sky Sports.
Eircom has billed it as a game-changer that will fundamentally alter how people receive and watch TV.
Herb Hribar, eircom chief executive, said television was too expensive in Ireland.
“This is just one more example of eircom delivering on its commitment to enable the ’always-on experience’ with great content, superfast fibre broadband at home, 4G and wireless hotspots on the move. No other company can deliver on this promise,” he said.
The service, being offered at €10 a month, will be delivered through the company’s fibre broadband service and will allow customers to add premium channels to the basic service.
It is part of eircom’s move to become the country’s first “quadplay” operation where customers can bundle landline, broadband, mobile and television in one.
Among the stations available are Discovery Channel, GOLD, Setanta Ireland, Setanta Sports, MTV and Film 4, and the service allows for pause, rewind or record. The system also allows 240 hours of recording and two stations to be recorded at one time.
Kevin White, managing director of eircom consumer, said: “eVision is a huge milestone not just for eircom, but for Irish consumers.”
Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, said: ``The new television service the company is launching today is a good illustration of the benefits that this investment can bring.
“This innovation should provide more choice for TV consumers, more competition driving down prices and a boost in demand for broadband services that are becoming available.”
