UTStarcom (UTSI) has signed contracts with China Telecom (CHA) to deploy its RollingStream end-to-end IPTV solution in two cities in the Fujian Province.

In Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian Province with nearly six million residents, the initial deployment has a capacity of 12,000 concurrent media streams, covering the major metropolitan areas of the city. Initially it plans to offer users 70 channels of live broadcast television with "time-shifting" capabilities and approximately 3,000 hours of video-on-demand. The operator is targeting 50,000 users by the end of 2006.

In Quanzhou, a coastal city with approximately 6.5 million residents, the initial deployment is planned to support 37,000 concurrent media streams and covers the city's main districts and initially offers users 70 channels of live broadcast television with "time-shifting" capabilities and approximately 5,000 hours of video-on-demand. The operator is targeting 80,000 users by the end of 2006.

"We believe that IPTV will be a driving force in the development of broadband services throughout China as consumers discover the freedom of timeless television and the variety of choices and value-added services that our RollingStream system can offer," said Bill Huang, chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering for UTStarcom. "Both Fuzhou and Quanzhou represent exciting and fertile opportunities for the growth of IPTV as less than 5 percent of the population in each city currently has access to broadband services."