Knology Launches TV Caller ID Service

Beating the large MSOs to the punch, Knology Inc. is plunging forward into convergence services. The cable overbuilder is making waves this month by rolling out a caller ID on TV service to subscribers who already take both digital video and voice services for an extra fee. Knology, which serves 178,000 video subscribers in six Southeastern states, is offering the TV Caller ID service free as a promotion for the first month. Customers will then pay an extra $1.95 a month for the service, making Knology the first pay TV provider to charge separately for it. As such, it will provide the first evidence of whether consumers will pay for such newfangled convergence products. Made possible by Integra5 Communications' i5 Service Delivery Platform, the new "TV Caller ID" service is designed to display the name and telephone number of each caller automatically on the subscriber's TV screen before the phone even rings. Subscribers can also access various menu options via their TV remote control, including a call log feature to view a list of incoming calls and a telephony control panel to modify the duration of the TV Caller ID display on their screen. The service supports up to three separate phone lines per home.