CenturyLink Sees Streaming Replacing Traditional TV CenturyLink this week hinted that it plans to ultimately replace its "Prism" IPTV platform with an over the top (OTT) streaming service it plans to unveil next year. CenturyLink has repeatedly said it hopes to launch a 17-channel "skinny" streaming video service sometime in early 2017 once trials are completed. The company has previously stated that the service will be dubbed "Prism Stream," and will be an "over the top product that caters to the millennial generation." The company has yet to specify just how much this service will cost, and it's believed CenturyLink is still working out the usual broadcaster licensing kinks.

So what happens with the Prism IPTV platform the telco has been pushing into select markets? "At this point we’ll continue serving the markets that we’re in and we think over time the over the top product might replace the Prism product over time," CenturyLink CFO Stewart Irving told investors at an industry conference this week. “We’re not going to discontinue selling it and if we can get the channels delivered that consumers want the Prism service could potentially go away over time.” A lot of this will depend on CenturyLink's broadband network upgrades, which, like so many telcos, are patchy at best. Ewing noted that the company's existing Prism TV platform requires a connection of at least 25 Mbps, while the company's streaming platform requires just 10 Mbps. The company has consistently tried to argue that gigabit connections are overkill. But CenturyLink struggles to deliver the FCC minimum 25 Mbps broadband definition to most of its customers, too. "What we’re interested in is driving broadband growth over time," Ewing said. "We think OTT video will enable us to drive broadband growth." CenturyLink's decision to launch its own streaming service comes as the company consistently ranks among the worst ISP's in the country in terms of CenturyLink's decision to launch its own streaming service comes as the company consistently ranks among the worst ISP's in the country in terms of Netflix streaming performance , and has been losing a significant number of DSL subscribers each quarter to faster cable options. The company has also stated that it will soon be capping broadband users and charging them overage fees , raising the question of whether its new streaming TV service will be zero rated (exempt from said caps).







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Most recommended from 24 comments

xthepeoplesx

join:2013-10-21 6 recommendations xthepeoplesx Member Will they sell over the top to cable customers? I guess I am confused since the majority of CL users cant even get 10mbps who will they be selling this service to?

rottnpup

join:2000-08-04

Minneapolis, MN 4 recommendations rottnpup Member Streaming Service? Now let me get this straight CenturyLink is dreaming up a streaming service that they cannot reasonably provide over their own inept network?

I think they should try to figure out a way to improve their dsl network first!

Hazy Arc

join:2006-04-10

Greenwood, SC 4 recommendations Hazy Arc Member Ha! I currently have 20Mbps bonded DSL from Centurylink - and I'm lucky to get 3Mbps during the afternoon/evening. That isn't enough to maintain a single HD stream, much less three. Good luck with getting folks to adopt that.