Russia's Corbina aims for mid-year IPTV launch

Russia's Corbina Telecom, a subsidiary of wireless and wireline carrier giant VimpelCom, is planning to launch a Corbina TV IPTV service in Moscow and other Russian cities, as well as in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The launch will begin in the middle of this year. Corbina Telecom has teamed up with Microsoft and will deploy the software firm's Mediaroom IPTV platform, becoming the first carrier in Russia to use the Microsoft platform. Corbina also will use set-top boxes from Motorola. The service provider will offer both standard and high-definition content, and is looking to package Corbina TV with a triple-play service offering.

Meanwhile, despite rapid growth of pay TV options in Eastern Europe, a new study from Research and Markets suggests IPTV platforms will have a tough time finding traction. The study says that by 2012 IPTV platforms will account for less than 3 percent of the homes in the region.

For more:
- check out this Corbina coverage at IPTV News
- and this post on the new study at IPTV news

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