Qwest lays Choice TV to rest

October 10, 2008 - US telco Qwest Communications International has started phasing out its 'Choice TV' IPTV service, delivered via VDSL and first trialled in Arizona in 1999, before expanding into Colorado.

According to Arizona media outlets, Qwest has found investing in TV delivery to be "too steep a slope", and the IPTV service is now facing the axe. Qwest is reportedly phasing out the service delivered to 42,000 video customers in the Valley, and is attempting to persuade the existing users to subscribe to a satellite TV/broadband package, with Qwest's Director of Product Management Steve Sklar saying that the company is offering special pricing for customers who decide to switch to DirecTV.

Qwest's current strategy is reportedly to invest US$ 300mn in delivering 20 Mbps over an ADSL2+ network to around 1.5mn broadband customers within the next two years.