20 Orange IPTV subs in Jordan

Orange Jordan’s CEO, Mickael Ghossein has told Comm. that only 20 users have subscribed to the service provider’s IPTV service after two months of operation.

Orange Jordan’s Ghossein said despite the low uptake of IPTV, he is optimistic a strong awareness campaign will improve its appeal

In July Comm. questioned the appeal of IPTV in Jordan, which counts more than 100,000 ADSL subscribers. The slow take-up of the service in Jordan, a country known for innovation, may have an impact on the technology’s deployment in other parts of the region.

Ghossein said that the free availability of satellite TV in Jordan was a challenge to mass-market uptake of IPTV services and admitted the operator needed to promote the service differently.

“Today we are not happy. But that is normal – it is a new concept and we need to educate the market. IPTV is the future of Orange Jordan. Even though today the uptake is not as we would like, I believe that in time, perhaps six months, we will see the results,” he commented.

Ghossein suggests that making presentations at local malls to raise awareness of the new service and its benefits to consumers could make a difference with respect to uptake.

“We need to refocus our communication and promote it differently. It is a new technology so it takes time to adapt. There is not much of a market now, but it could be mass market in the future. In Europe today, all the bundles of ADSL and fixed include satellite. This could be the story in the future with IPTV,” he added.

The operator offers a basic IPTV service for JD50 (US$70.60) per month, which includes video on demand and ART channels. It is anticipated that at a later stage the service will also be bundled with the Internet.