AT&T (NYSE: T) has asked the FCC for permission to stop offering its BellSouth analog video service in Carbon Hill, Ala., and Kings Point, Fla., two markets where it is conducting TDM-to-IP service trials.
The BellSouth Analog Video Service -- which is otherwise known as BellSouth SPA Broadcast Quality Video service -- is a legacy TDM-based video service that provides one-way transmission of NTSC video signals between customer designated premises or between a customer designated premise and a telephone company's central office via fiber optic facilities.
The carrier offered the service out of its wire centers in Carbon Hill and Kings Point.
AT&T said in an FCC filing that no one in these areas would be impacted by this change since no customers currently use the service.
"The public convenience and necessity will not be impaired by the grandfathering of this service because there is no customer demand for this service," said AT&T in the FCC filing. "AT&T has no customers that currently subscribe to this service in the Trial Wire Centers."
To meet the demand for video transport services, AT&T offers its Serial Component Video Service (SCVS), an IP-based digital video service that provides standards-based 270 Mbps digital video transport for one-way transport of high quality digital video and audio signals. SCVS transmits digital video signals in an uncompressed format with no loss of video quality.
AT&T said the SCVS "service is currently available throughout AT&T's service area in the Trial Wire Centers."
The service provider has been making progress with its TDM-to-IP transition trials in these two markets.
Interestingly, the company reported in October that while more customers are purchasing IP-based services in these two markets, that is happening at a slower pace.
After kicking off the trial last May, the service provider said in an FCC filing highlighting its progress in these two markets that it saw TDM-based service subscriptions continue to decline in its consumer and business segments.
For more:
- see this FCC filing (PDF)
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