TalkTalk Selects Alcatel-Lucent to Build CDN For YouView

UK broadband operator TalkTalk has signed a three-year agreement with Alcatel-Lucent to build a Content Delivery Network (CDN) which will enable TalkTalk to deliver high-quality digital TV to end-users. The CDN network will run over TalkTalk's existing high-speed IP network, and will leverage the digital media delivery technology acquired through Alcatel-Lucent's recent purchase of Velocix.

According to the news, the three-year agreement also covers managed services, installation and commissioning, and is described as the first CDN announcement related to YouView (formally Project Canvas), the upcoming connected TV platform for the UK to be delivered by the country's terrestrial broadcasters together with communications companies Arqiva, BT and TalkTalk.

“By enabling our network with Alcatel-Lucent Velocix infrastructure, we will be able to lead the market in digital delivery, further showcasing TalkTalk’s leading innovation in the UK market,” said Max Alexander, TV & Media Director of TalkTalk.  “Alcatel-Lucent Velocix’s experience of operating a global CDN, coupled with its market leadership and extensive experience in video delivery were major factors in our selection.”

TalkTalk has confirmed that it is planning to use the Velocix solution from Alcatel-Lucent to deliver YouView traffic, namely UK television content directly over IP networks to subscribers' set-top boxes and PCs.  Content may be downloaded directly into the Velocix infrastructure and then dynamically distributed across the TalkTalk network to end-users, guaranteeing better quality of service and reducing peering costs.

TalkTalk's unbundled network currently extends to approximately 1,700 exchanges, covering 80% of the UK population, with 77% of customers now on its own network.