As a bijou nation with hefty spending power, Monaco presents an interesting profile for an IPTV launch. 

Burdened to a far lesser extent by the issues larger countries have in building out an IPTV-capable network (the principality has 100% coverage of its 22,000 households via VDSL and cable), and home to some very deep-pocketed customers, today's launch of an IPTV service by Monaco Telecom was an exercise in the possiblities afforded by this unusual situation.

At the invitation of the incumbent telco and its technology partner Netgem, IPTV News attended the launch today (June 7th) of the new service 'BoxTV', starting with a midday press conference at the Great Hall of the Department of State, hosted by Martin Peronnet, Director General of Monaco Telecom; Gilles Tonelli, Minister for Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development; and Joseph Haddad, President of Netgem.

In a conference room filled with local and international press, Messrs. Peronnet, Tonelli and Haddad outlined the role of the new service in the city-state's digital switchover (all televisions sold after March 2008 can now access 18 digital channels free of charge, delivered over the existing cable network - there being no DTT in the country), and the content and features afforded to residents who opt for an IPTV subscription.

"The combination of television and the Internet will bring a new and valuable service to residents of Monaco […] and opens up a new perspective for our country and its public," said Mr. Tonelli.  "This is a major evolution in the history of television."

The new IPTV service has been in testing since January, with around 7,000 premium customers already receiving the service before today.  The maximisation of network assets through hybrid delivery was highlighted during the initial presentation, which confirmed that broadcast television is delivered over the existing cable network, while interactivity and VOD are delivered over VDSL connections capable of up to 30 Mbps.






















As to the content and pricing, the "Starter" package offers 40 digital channels (including three HD channels), and six months' free access to Canal+ channels, with the only cost being rental of the Netgem set-top box (€8 per month).  Next up is the premium package offering 180 channels, including 21 HD channels, and a number of bolt-on options divided by theme and language, costing €21.90 per month.

Also included in the service is a video-on-demand library of some 3,000 titles (including HD), a multilingual interface (French, Italian and English), media centre capabilities such as local storage of music, photos and recorded television, a dual tuner for watching one channel while recording another, access to Internet content including Facebook and YouTube, and an app store.

There are also big plans for the future - the Netgem box is already shipping with the ability to be controlled remotely via iPhone or iPad, and the company plans to add new devices to this list in the coming months, with Android and Blackberry devices top of the queue.  Then in 2011 the telco hopes to introduce version 2.0 of the service, offering mosaic, picture-in-picture, catch-up TV, new channels and VOD titles, online subscription, weather and traffic reports, and 3D content.  

The set-top boxes can already support 3DTV, according to Netgem, but the addition of 3D content to the new service depends on the signing of content deals.  However, Monaco Telecom is in a strong position to count its clients likely to be amongst the earliest adopters of 3DTV-capable sets.

Launch of the service took place at the Monaco Telecom store near the Stade Louis II football stadium during the evening of June 7th, when it was officially switched on by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II.  Development of the service will prove particularly interesting to keep an eye on, for the reasons named above, and if the Monegasque residents prove enthusiastic, then subsequent enhancements to the service could propel it to the industry's very leading edge.