BSkyB looks at wireless plan for multi-room TVs
BSkyB is rumoured to be considering using wireless solutions to allow its service to broadcast across all television sets in a household, as it aims to sign up a third of subscribers to “multi-room” services by 2010.
The multi-channel broadcaster has set itself a target of having 30 per cent of its projected 10 million subscribers using multi-room services by 2010.
At present, subscribers signed up to the multi-room package must buy separate Sky boxes for each TV set in a house. By June this year, it had signed up 645,000 of its 7.8 million subscribers to the service, more than double the figure of 293,000 in the previous year.
A BSkyB spokesman says there are no concrete plans to introduce a wireless-routing service that would relay programming from a central box, but adds that it is an area of interest for the future.
The spokesman says: “We want to offer our customers a competitive product that ensures they can receive Sky content throughout the home.
“We have an existing multi-room proposition, but over time we will look at other solutions, which may include a wireless product.”
He says that could include a centralised Sky Plus box, which could be accessed remotely from any room in the house.
The plans are thought to be part of BSkyB’s strategy to combat competition from Freeview and cable competitors, particularly in the light of NTL and Telewest’s proposed merger. Sky is also reported to be planning a &£150m takeover bid for broadband internet firm Easynet, which would allow it to market a three-way telephony, broadband and digital TV package that is currently only offered via cable.
