A new service which could revolutionise the way you watch television is set to be launched for the Bermuda market next month.

Global Online Television Corporation's (GOTV) Internet protocol television (IPTV) service will deliver multi-definition content through a signal transmitted via a broadband line, enabling viewers to watch IPTV on a PC, cell phone or gaming console, as well as, of course, on television.

The new service, which will be available on the Island from March 1 and can be ordered directly from GOTV, will be exclusively marketed by Tony Brannon, CEO of Brannon Enterprises — a business development company.

"IPTV is going to be the future of how we all watch television," said Mr. Brannon, who first became aware of the service three months ago.

"I have always tried to keep myself ahead of the curve in terms of technological developments and I have been doing so for a number of years when I bought Bermuda.com, built it up into a million-dollar web advertising portal and later sold it on.

"I just really keep my eye on things that are going on, particularly in the digital world, and I stumbled on GOTV, and as with all emerging technology companies I am interested in, called them up, got the CEO on the telephone and found out what was going on with the product they were offering." Mr. Brannon, who is also the representative for the service in a number of Caribbean countries, sought advice from two of his technology-savvy friends, one of whom told him that IPTV was the future, and he decided to go with the concept.

"Television is still the main thing that happens in anyone's home and is more widely watched than anything else," he said.

"You need 2 Megabits in order to get a good stream from the Internet and now that is available in Bermuda you can just order the service from GOTV and watch the likes of Netflix films downloaded right to your television set as well as a lot of other cool free stuff.

"You can build up your channels whichever way you want."

The new service works by the customer ordering a set top box, remote control and keyboard along with a monthly subscription fee for the content paid by credit card. A basic package costs a set-up fee of $239.99 plus shipping and handling and $29.95 per month for a two-year contract.

Mr. Brannon said the beauty of GOTV was the provision of the GO-V-Phone — a service that combines VOIP and IPTV to deliver video phone to the home, allowing users to make calls to their family, friends and colleagues via the television screen, in addition to video chat through AIM, MSN, Yahoo, etc. The service is currently under development, but is expected to be on offer in the second quarter of 2010, while there are also plans to bring out a set top box with recording facility.

The service will bring all of the largest IPTV networks together for home television viewing using IPTV and Microsoft Windows Media Player to video stream through any Broadband Internet connection, such as DSL or cable modem, enabling users to surf the Internet, read e-mail and use social media sites via their browser, with content accessed through a code sent to the set top box.

"The service is new, so I think people are going to be really inquisitive about it here," said Mr. Brannon.

"Provided you have got a broadband connection it should run fine.

"It is just another way of offering a service with more choice and probably at a better price than what you are paying now for cable and the like."

Recent statistics on IPTV from the Multimedia Research Group have indicated a strong upward trend in the technology, with one million more subscribers than predicted in 2008, or 21.9 million, resulting in a projected subscriber growth of 26.9 million in 2009 to more than 81 million in 2013. Meanwhile combined capital expenditure revenue and service revenue are anticipated to rise from $9.7 billion in 2009 to $25.6 billion in 2013.

GOTV, which is a subsidiary of Atlantis Technology Group, yesterday announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement with Brannon Enterprises in Bermuda, Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Aruba, St. Maarten and Panama to tap into a market of more than 3.9 million people and a big hospitality and consumer industry.

For more information about GOTV contact Tony Brannon on 334-8669 or email tony@bermuda.com. Visit www.gotvco.com for further details, view a demonstration or to pre-order the GOTV service.