OzarksGo has made a long-term commitment to their video offering by launching MG-TV live streaming from Innovative Systems. OzarksGo, a telecommunications subsidiary of Ozarks Electric Cooperative, is one of the largest providers of video service by an electric cooperative, with just over 9,000 video customers in northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.

According to William Hyatt the company’s Manager of TV & customer technology, OzarksGo wants to continue to offer a video package in order to capture additional revenue and to complement its broadband service, despite the thinner profit margin in video. OzarksGo has also carved out a niche by providing wholesale video to other regional rural electric cooperatives. Hyatt says, “A number of our cooperative neighbors who are in broadband see a need to have a video offering, and this revenue supports the OzarksGo headend investment.”

IPTV Cap and Grow Strategy

Right now, the company offers both IPTV and live streaming, but the long term plan is to convert everyone to streaming. Like most companies, Hyatt says streaming is the future for localized live video because set top box and install costs are reduced substantially. Self-care is more likely as customers will receive the credentials for the streaming service, and then connect to their consumer devices. For those OzarksGo customers who still want a traditional Cable/IPTV experience, the plan is to offer either the Innovative Systems IS-5041W STB or another Android box so customers can still use a traditional remote control.

Fast Ramp Up

Hyatt is proud of his team at OzarksGo as they were able go from headend equipment installation to live customers in four months. Hyatt was also complementary of the Innovative Systems technical support group commenting that they proved to OzarksGo their expertise in bringing up hundreds of video systems over the last fifteen years.