Alaskans Deploy Minerva for IPTV

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Minerva® Networks, Inc., a leading provider of video networking infrastructure, today announced that its IP Television delivery platform was selected by Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA), an independent operating company (IOC) serving 38,000 member-owners over 10,000 square miles, from Anderson to Eagle River (including Denali National Park), Alaska. Early this fall, Palmer, AK - based MTA will begin offering live next-generation digital television, video on demand (VOD) and pay-per-view bundled with voice and data services over an ADSL network.

Joe Ortner, project manager of MTA said, "Many companies are upgrading their cable plant to support telephony services and we fully expect our competition to start using the technology in our service area. IP Television technology enables us to expand our service offerings, creating a more compelling bundle for our member-owners. We want to stay competitive and remain attractive to the consumer and also be the first to offer this type of new technology."

The MTA IP Television headend features the Minerva® iTVManager service management software and the Minerva®VC8000 video processing platform. While the iTVManager administration module manages business functions and monitors customer preferences, the iTVManager client module, running on the subscriber's set-top box, creates the interactive user experience. Installed and integrated by Minerva's professional services organization, the IP Television headend gives MTA all of the tools necessary to deliver advanced television services over their broadband infrastructure.

MTA's "triple play" offering is far superior to current cable offerings in their service area and includes 195 channels of high-quality digital TV including local channels, VOD, pay-per-view and later this Fall, MTA will offer TV-based Caller-ID bundled together with their existing telephony and high-speed Internet access. Portions of Eagle River, Chugiak, Palmer, Wasilla and Big Lake will have access to the new services later this fall. By the end of the year, MTA hopes to make the "triple play" services available to over half of their subscribers.

"MTA is a savvy IOC that recognizes IP Television services are now both technologically and financially viable, with many of the previous barriers to deployment quickly disappearing," said Reed Majors, vice president of marketing and business development at Minerva Networks. "Many of the remaining small, rural telcos in North America are following suit, finding it necessary to add video to their existing Internet and telephony packages."

"Minerva understands this product very well and knows what it takes to successfully deploy video over IP," added Ortner. "They played a vital role in developing our ROI model as well as the business plan for digital television."

Minerva Networks Inc.