STOCKHOLM -- TeliaSonera Sweden is now launching a digital television service for its broadband subscribers. The new service complements TeliaSonera Sweden's Internet and telephony offerings. Sweden's households can now have the same provider for so-called triple play services -- television, Internet and fixed telephony. The new service, Telia Digital TV, can be ordered as of today (January 27, 2005).

The new digital television service is being initially offered in 15 of Sweden's largest cities and towns: Boras, Gavle, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Jonkoping, Linkoping, Lund, Malmo, Norrkoping, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Umea, Uppsala, Vasteras and Orebro.

``Our digital television service gives our broadband customers added value at the same time as it is a new and attractive business for TeliaSonera Sweden. This new offering strengthens our position as Sweden's leading communications company,`` says Marie Ehrling, President of TeliaSonera Sweden.

Digital television gives customers better picture and sound quality. Digital broadcasts via broadband also provide possibilities for interactive services. The channels are supplied through the ordinary telephone jack to a broadband modem for digital television. The modem, in turn, is connected to a digital box connected to the television set.

Two packages of channels TeliaSonera Sweden is offering two packages of channels that can be subscribed to individually or as a combined package. Channel Package I consists of 23 channels, including the television channels SVT 1 and 2 from Sveriges Television (SVT), the Swedish public service television company, Kunskapskanalen (Knowledge Channel), Barnkanalen (Children's Channel), TV4, TV4+, TV400, TV Film, Kanal 5 (Channel 5), several Discovery channels, Animal Planet, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Eurosport. Channel Package II includes SVT's channels, TV4 and the movie and sports channels from Canal+.

Rent videos round-the-clock

From the start TeliaSonera Sweden's digital TV subscribers can rent movies through the video-on-demand service. The film providers are SF Anytime and Live Networks, which together offer around 150 movie titles. Customers have access to a rented movie for 20 hours, in the same way as rentals from video stores, and can start, stop, rewind and pause the movie in the same way as you can on a video recorder or DVD player. Customers also get faster text TV and a smart TV guide.

Substantial build-out planned

``Through our digital television initiative we can offer our customers another service that plays a central role in their homes and everyday life. We expect that 70 percent of Sweden's households will be able to order digital TV from us already this year,`` says Marie Ehrling.

TeliaSonera AB