CHALLENGE

  • Challenging geography and infrastructure limitations
  • Needed to offer TV to remain competitive

SOLUTION

  • Inca Demultiplexer 1102 demuxed bundled streams into individual channels for delivery over DSL network
  • Launched Skitter TV, an OTT broadband application, offering HD and SD channels over existing DSL

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

  • Single-box solution that is easy to use and does what it’s meant to do
  • Seamless compatibility with existing hardware and network infrastructure
  • Real-time monitoring of network with VidiOS™ for effective troubleshooting

Television in the Dunes

Consolidated Companies operates within a challenging geographic environment, with customers spread very thinly across a large area and a unique topography ideal for grazing cattle. Established in 1947, Consolidated is a family-owned, full-service telecommunications company, serving approximately 2,500 DSL customers in 26 communities over nearly 8,900 square miles in west central Nebraska.

“We’re in a very sparsely populated area. The nature of the terrain—the hills, ridges and valleys of the Sandhills region—makes delivering off-air TV problematic, while many of our customers are outside of satellite providers’ county limits,” says Tim Nicholson, Network Specialist.

To remain competitive against other telcos, Consolidated needed to offer a television service to its customers but were faced with a challenging environment with limited options. They decided to launch Skitter TV, an over-the-top (OTT) broadband application that runs over DSL. Consolidated could receive a bundle of off-air channels from another independent telephone company in close proximity to the Fox and ABC station transmitter. However, the company needed to break that bundle of channels down into individual streams appropriate for IPTV delivery.

The Inca Demultiplexer enabled Consolidated to easily and affordably demultiplex and groom their signal feeds and deliver high-quality video streams to their customers over their IP network—in a single-box solution. Through Skitter TV, Consolidated now offers six SD and two HD channels, plus services such as Netflix and HuluPlus, over DSL. They also deliver local news and sports content to their customers via an NBC affiliate channel, which most customers would not otherwise be able to access.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Inca strives to deliver easy-to-use products that make people’s jobs easier and more efficient. Taking advantage of the streamlined configuration and intelligent software architecture built into every Inca product, Consolidated were up and running with their TV service in no time.

“Inca’s platform is essentially a generation ahead. They have implemented a unique solution that is easy-to-use, allowing us to deliver exceptional television viewing experience and new channels to our customers, ” says Tim.

Walking the Talk

Inca prides themselves on delivering products that perform exactly as promised and providing exceptional customer support and service. They work closely with customers to understand their video delivery objectives and implement a solution that solves their problem in the most efficient way possible.

“Inca’s staff is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. They deliver a quality product that does exactly what they say it will do. A competing vendor said they could solve our problem and sent out a box for trial. But ultimately their product wouldn’t do what they promised,” says Tim.

Single-box Solution

Consolidated outlined the details of their current infrastructure, the IP streams, and what they wanted to accomplish. And Inca delivered—all in a one-box solution.

“In order to accomplish what one Inca box would do, a competing vendor proposed a solution that would require three separate boxes. That’s essentially three points of failure. And, case in point, the box they sent to evaluate didn’t work for us,” notes Tim.

Consolidated is very happy with the quality of the signal from their single-box solution and are thrilled to provide an excellent viewing experience to their customers.

Tim says, “Inca delivered a unique solution that competitors were simply unable to deliver. I highly recommend Inca and would happily work with them again.”