The African streaming industry could be in for an even greater shake up as US-based streaming player MatrixStream seeks to collaborate with Telcos and Internet service providers (ISPs).
The US-based firm wants to help African services providers, especially mobile phone operators and ISPs, to crack the video streaming market by bringing new OTT (Over the Top) end-to-end HD (high-definition) streaming Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services to the market.
The firm provides wireless IPTV solution offering HD streaming over wireless 3G, 4G and LTE networks.
IPTV viewers can enjoy HD videos on either MatrixStream’s HD set-top boxes, Android smartphones, Apple iPhones, Apple iPads, MACs, or PCs.
The African mobile streaming market is dominated by Naspers’ ShowMax, DStv’s BoxOffice, Tuluntulu, Kwesé, iROKOTv, etc.
MTN has tried its hand in video-on-demand (VOD) services, but failed dismally and now market talk suggests that Africa’s largest mobile phone operator could buy MultiChoice Africa from Naspers – Africa’s biggest tech firm
The entry of US-based Netflix was meant to shake up the African streaming market, however, it is still not attracting millions of viewers as was expected.
MatrixStream – a US-based vendor of HD streaming over the Internet IPTV solution provider – told Techfinancials this week that it was open to collaborations with any mobile phone operator or ISPs across the African continent to deliver OTT end-to-end HD streaming IPTV services.
“We are willing to work with any telco or ISPs willing to innovate,” Aaron Keogh, director of business development at MatrixStream, told Techfinancials by phone from Vancouver, Canada, adding the company was prepared to work with any Telco or ISP in Africa to deploy its technology.
The company’s patented MatrixCast streaming technology is the engine in the MatrixCloud IPTV solution.
The company says MatrixCast allows viewers to watch high-quality videos over the network at a very low bit rates.
“Viewers can watch HD videos with as little as 1 Mbps of bandwidth. Unlike other IPTV solutions, this will save service providers a ton of bandwidth and put less strain on the entire networking infrastructure.”
MatrixCloud IPTV solution is designed to offer unlimited live TV channels and VOD videos.
Keogh said the company’s IPTV solution provides a low-bandwidth, high-quality streaming solution, designed for rapid deployment and growth within established markets.
“With MatrixStream, we can deploy solutions (end-to-end MatrixStream OTT IPTV solution) within 60 days in multiple countries. Any telecoms player who wants to spread its IPTV services quickly will benefit from this.”
He added that the solution provides all the pieces needed to deploy a complete IPTV solution, which includes streaming of limitless live TV channels and unlimited on-demand videos all up to Ultra HD 4K video quality over networks.
Keogh further said mobile phone operators and ISPs can use MatrixCloud OTT to launch skinny channel bundles and subscription VOD to complement existing IPTV offerings or to release a standalone video package to bundle with high-margin broadband and wireless services.
“We want to help telecoms and ISPs across Africa to rapidly deploy IPTV platform that is end-to-end plug and play solution to basically minimise the time to market,” said Keogh, adding that the company has experience for working across the continent.
“We ultimately want to simplify processes for Telcos and ISPs to go into the market and overcome.”
MatrixStream hopes to help African Telcos and ISPs to overcome the overall industry stagnation and poor subscriber growth for video streaming.
Keogh said the company’s IPTV platforms are built to provide “what we may call Green Streaming”.
“Our product is built to last, be recyclable, provides low power consumption (both data services and for the end user) and to be green as possible.”
