Thomson recently announced that it had delivered 1.5 million digital cable set-top boxes to Brazilian cable operator NET (News - Alert) Serviços. These figures further emphasize Thomson’s position as one of the leading providers of convergent premises solutions to operators all across the globe. Reports fromNET Serviços indicate that the company has huge expansion plans in the Brazilian market and is heavily dependant upon Thomson (News - Alert) to help them fulfill this goal.

 

NET Servicos currently has more than 2.5 million pay-TV subscribers, 1.6 million broadband customers and 718,000 fixed telephony lines in Latin American. NET Serviços is a pioneer in the region in terms of its triple-play offering and is currently the largest cable operator in Latin America.

 

With a potential 9 million homes passed, its network extends for more than 40 thousand kilometers, covering 79 different cities, across the country, which include the main metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

 

NET CEO Jose Antonio Felix said, “With our extensive network and existing customer base, NET Serviços is well positioned to drive the adoption of both digital TV and associated bundles of voice and Internet access within Brazil. Our long-term partnership with Thomson will also ensure that we have access to the very best products and related expertise required to offer the richest multimedia experience to our customers.”

 

Thomson is currently supporting NET Serviços’ plans to offer multi-service bundles of broadband and broadcast services to its cable TV subscribers. Thomson has helped by supplying its digital cable set-top box (DCI10NET) in tandem with broadband cable modems (DCM425).

 

In the last two years, they have installed over 1.5 million set-top boxes. These figures illustrate the speed at which NET Serviços is digitizing its network and expanding the scope of its service offering to its subscriber base.

 

Frédéric Kurkjian, vice president of Thomson’s Video Premises Systems, said that “Unique in our ability to provide end-to-end solutions for the delivery of both modular and integrated triple play over cable, we look forward to helping NET Serviços further expand its broad and exciting range of services across the country. This milestone is strong validation of both the strengths of our current product offering for digital cable TV and cable broadband delivery and our ability to support customers as they move towards bundling voice, TV and Internet.”

 

According to industry analysts, IMS Research, the number of digital cable TV subscribers in Latin America is all set to reach 4.6 million by the end of 2008 and will see a further rise in 2009, which may go up to 6 million.