Triple play (telecommunications)
Triple Play is (English for Triple Play ) in telecommunications since about 2005, a marketing term for the bundled offering of the three services audiovisual entertainment (television, video-on -demand ), ( IP ) telephony and the Internet (see convergence). Does the offer additionally mobile deals, one also speaks of quadruple play (English for quadruple play, shortening also called quad play ).
For competition in the telecommunications market, the emergence of triple play, first has the advantage that be to establish several competing network infrastructures to the participants, since both the traditional telephone companies to expand their network for IPTV and video on demand while the cable TV network operators their networks for cable Internet and cable telephony equip.
Terminology
- Originally, the term triple play comes from the baseball and describes a perfect Defensivspielzug, which combines three moves in one. For this reason, it was also adopted by the telecommunications industry.
- In general the term also refers to electronic components, the same process audio, video and data ( can ). However, triple play in the original sense refers to the transportation of voice, data and video (triple ) over a network. Even called the quadruple play, so the additional mobile offer at the television, internet and telephone from a single source ( quad = four ), again only data, voice or video contents are distributiert or offered. So there are still dealing with Triple Play, because the content is the same, varying only the electronic components.
- In Austria Triple Play is a registered through UPC brand name.
History
Cable TV providers build their networks since the 1990s for this combination of ( in Germany due to the former ownership of cable networks, however, mostly only a few years ) and offers a number of cable modems, the TV service usually pure classical radio is not on demand (video on Demand ) function. With the availability of broadband IP-based access (ADSL, VDSL, fiber), which must also be reliable and with little delay, and efficient data reduction techniques (eg MPEG -4 AVC) also rise telecommunications provider in the market. Mobile phone companies call their usually based on UMTS services partially unsystematischerweise as quad play.
The German Telekom rose in November 2006 in the triple-play market and introduced in November 2013, as the first provider in Germany to offer a quad play.
Given the technology convergence and the migration of the traditional circuit-switched telephone network towards an NGN infrastructure will be based on a uniform network infrastructure in future all services of triple play offers.
Criticism
Despite the advantages for the customer (eg, billing, and service from a single source ) Critics warn today before a bundling of all communication services on one ( IP-based ) network because a failure or a total failure then the simultaneous failure of all communication channels could mean ( be it by natural disasters, terrorism, technical defects, etc.) In addition, the telephone rates differ considerably. With the use of free VoIP providers are so worthwhile (also for mobile calls and international calls), the usual flat rates only in certain user behavior depending on the provider and tariff sometimes considerably cheaper per-minute rates available.
Recalling its high investment costs for grid expansion and the taking root of infrastructure competition between their networks, try the triple- play provider of market regulation and their requirements such as unbundling, universal and net neutrality to get rid of a monopoly or oligopoly content providers to achieve added value. With this suggestion, the German Telekom in Germany ( VDSL regulatory holiday Telekom ) and Swisscom in Switzerland already had success.