Woonsocket, SD – Santel Communications, a long time IPTV provider this month launched a full-channel live streaming service for their cooperative customers in central and southeast South Dakota. General Manager Ryan Thompson says the desire of the cooperative’s board of directors is to continue providing video service for its members, of which approximately 2000 of them subscribe to Santel’s IPTV service. Thompson related that Santel has been able to keep video at a profitable level, and for this reason the board wanted to invest in the delivery of live streaming to future-proof the product. Another reason for the new streaming service delivery relates to aging set top boxes, and the ability to shift the customer into using their own streaming device as a replacement. Thompson says over the next two years instead of a truck roll to all those homes, just switching customers over to their Amazon or other consumer device will be easier for the customer, and much less expensive for Santel Communications as a company.
The new streaming service provided by Innovative Systems MG-TV Live Streaming will also give Santel the opportunity to promote their fiber internet and move customers into higher speed packages that also includes their managed Wi-Fi service. Thompson believes that customers needing multiple OTT services like Paramount+, Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+ have caused a lot of their cooperative members to realize that a service like SmartStream offers much of that same content on one platform, with one bill. Stockholder pressure on the national OTT providers to start making money is creating increased parity when it comes to pricing, which according to Thompson will make their local service more price competitive.
About Santel Communications
Santel Communications delivers high-speed Internet, digital television, wireless and business solutions. Serving approximately 4,000 members in central and southeast South Dakota, Santel is also a part-owner of SDN, a statewide fiber network that connects Santel to the world and provides business-class services to major enterprises, government agencies, and wireless networks throughout South Dakota and the surrounding states.
About Innovative Systems
Innovative Systems is a leading vendor of solutions for North American communications and utility providers with over eight hundred deployed systems. eLation™, our BSS/OSS solution, includes integrated billing, provisioning, mobile apps, financials, and mapping. MG-TV is our one-platform approach to video solutions such as Middleware, VOD, Cloud DVR, Restart TV, HLS Live Streaming, Conditional Access, and set-top boxes. The APMAX™ platform supplies enhanced voice and hosted business solutions. The Innovative Systems Print Division is a full-service printing company specializing in print services for the telecommunications and utilities industries. For more information, visit, www.innovysy.com
For media inquiries contact Scott Meyer, Director of Marketing, scottm@innovsys.com
