Triple Play Pilot Plan Finalized in a Flash, SARFT Emerges as Biggest Winner
[Editor's Note] What is Triple Play? Simply put, one cable and one device can do three things: make phone calls, access the Internet, and watch TV. The three screens of mobile phones, TVs, and computers can be fully integrated into one, and with just one cable and one device, Internet access, TV viewing, and phone calls are all covered.
Sources say the final Triple Play plan clearly stipulates that SARFT will be responsible for the construction and management of the IPTV integrated broadcast and control platform.
After the pain of five revisions, the Triple Play pilot plan is finally about to see the light of day. Sources revealed yesterday that on the morning of June 6, the National Triple Play Coordination Group meeting passed the pilot plan in a flash, and the relevant documents will be officially released in the coming days, signaling the starting gun for the pilot city selection race. It is reported that the plan requires all regions to submit pilot applications by the 18th of this month, with implementation approval to begin on the 25th. Triple Play is truly about to break out of its cocoon.
SARFT is the Biggest Winner
Firmly Controlling IPTV Broadcast and Control Rights
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Although the final document has not yet been made public, the battle over broadcast and control rights was indeed the most intense in the five rounds of negotiations between the two departments. MIIT sought partial content integration, broadcast, and control rights, but SARFT refused to yield an inch.
It is understood that MIIT initially proposed that telecom enterprises could use local area networks and the Internet to aggregate and transmit audiovisual and non-audiovisual content to TV terminal users, and be responsible for user-facing business operations and services, as well as transmit various audiovisual content to mobile phone terminals. However, SARFT firmly opposed this, believing that telecom's role was merely a technical "conduit." In subsequent revisions of the plan, MIIT continued to demand corresponding rights, but SARFT specifically annotated that the integrated broadcast and control authority for IPTV and mobile TV would remain firmly in SARFT's hands.
"The integrated broadcast and control rights cannot be given to telecom," said a source close to SARFT. In his view, what telecom actually wants is the business operation rights, such as the hottest IPTV service. Previously, SARFT tightly controlled licensing authority, only granting green lights to a few affiliated enterprises, leaving telecom operators to enter indirectly through cooperation.
"In fact, a tiered model could be attempted, with varying degrees of openness for broadcast and control rights over different levels of content," said an expert close to MIIT.
Departmental Differences Finally Bridged
Ultimately Relied on Top-Level Decision
"I didn't expect such a swift decision. It seems the government is highly determined to push forward Triple Play," commented an industry insider. Previously, SARFT and telecom were locked in endless disputes, each holding their ground, and the industry speculated that a sixth, seventh, or even Nth draft might emerge. Unexpectedly, the decision-makers chose to "cut the Gordian knot."
Before the Spring Festival this year, the State Council executive meeting decided to accelerate the integration of telecom networks, radio and television networks, and the Internet. At the same time, considering SARFT's history, a three-year pilot reform buffer period was granted. According to the established timetable, the pilot period runs from this year to 2012. In March this year, MIIT Minister Li Yizhong optimistically stated that the plan would be approved by May. Even in late May, he still locked the timetable to May.
To everyone's surprise, after entering June, the pilot plan still had not been released. The fourth draft submitted on May 28 was rejected again, and the plan finally emerged on June 1, but the industry generally believed it would be difficult to implement in the short term, with inter-departmental friction becoming the hottest topic of discussion.
Earlier, an industry insider told reporters that in the face of irreconcilable disputes, MIIT and SARFT had requested top government leaders to resolve the conflict, which would ultimately require a decision from the State Council's Triple Play Leading Group.
In the Triple Play process, the conflict between the telecom camp and the SARFT camp has a long history. On April 2 this year, the two departments jointly submitted the first draft of the pilot plan. In the 18-page document, there were 28 points of disagreement, with 16 from MIIT and 12 from SARFT. From the substantive "main work tasks during the pilot phase" to the end of the pilot plan, the two sides repeatedly clashed, with strong hostility.
Pilot Cities Enthusiastically Apply
Local Governments are the Main Driving Force
Although the selection criteria for pilot cities have not yet been announced, first-tier cities are actively vying for a place on the initial list. A source close to MIIT told reporters that in recent times, almost all provincial capitals have been lobbying in Beijing. The SARFT camp is also selecting suitable regions.
On a pilot list circulating in the industry recently, 10 cities were considered highly promising: developed eastern cities included Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou; southern cities included Shenzhen; northeastern cities included Harbin and Shenyang; western cities included Chongqing; central cities included Wuhan and Changsha; and the northern city was Xinzhou in Shanxi. The overall layout covered all regions of the country.
However, in the view of Luo Xiaobu, deputy general manager of Gehua CATV, these so-called pilot lists were purely fabricated, as the pilot plan was far from finalized at the time. Zeng Huiming, CEO of CBN, stated that from the perspective of promoting Triple Play, the selection of pilots should be more comprehensive and representative, such as selecting eastern, western, and central cities respectively, and combining township and rural pilots.
At present, the sluggish decision-making contrasts sharply with the enthusiasm of local governments. A senior official in Shenzhen recently revealed that Shenzhen is striving to become one of the first batch of national Triple Play pilots, and boldly stated that the situation is very favorable for Shenzhen. Experts analyzed that the reason local governments are proactive is that Triple Play will bring new industrial space. For example, it could bring hundreds of billions of yuan in industrial growth space to Shenzhen, not only driving the development of strategic emerging industries but also bringing more opportunities to long-standing advantageous industries such as electronic information.
SARFT Deploys in Advance
One Province, One Network by Year-End
On one hand, the pilot plan was difficult to finalize; on the other, the two camps were positioning their forces. Over the past six months, SARFT's maneuvers have been dazzling: integrating resources while suppressing restless elements in the telecom camp.
On February 9, SARFT issued two bans in succession, stopping Guangxi Telecom from carrying out IPTV without authorization. On April 12, SARFT issued "Document No. 41," stating that regions carrying out IPTV services without SARFT approval would be investigated and punished in accordance with the "Regulations on the Administration of Internet Audiovisual Program Services." While the two sides were discussing the pilot plan, these incidents sharply intensified the conflict.
Meanwhile, the wave of integration within SARFT enterprises was surging. According to SARFT's deployment, all provinces must complete the integration of provincial cable TV networks by the end of this year, thereby achieving a full network from "one province, one network," and establish a national cable TV network company. On June 2, Beijing BCM Media Group, Beijing TV Station, and Beijing People's Broadcasting Station jointly integrated to form Beijing Broadcasting and Television Station. After the integration, Gehua CATV's "parent" will be changed to Beijing Broadcasting and Television Station.
Telecom operators' "Fiber to the Home" projects are also in full swing. In April this year, MIIT, together with six other ministries, proposed investing over 150 billion yuan in fiber broadband network construction over the next three years, requiring that by 2011, urban users' average access capacity reach above 8M, and commercial building users basically achieve 100M or above.
Reporter's Observation
Triple Play Should Not Keep the Public Waiting Too Long
For ordinary people, apart from the media hype and the frenzy in the capital markets, Triple Play seems more like "viewing flowers through fog." So, what changes can Triple Play actually bring to our lives?
Simply put, in the future, one cable and one device can do three things: make phone calls, access the Internet, and watch TV. Our most intuitive experience will be: the three screens of mobile phones, TVs, and computers can be fully integrated into one, eliminating the need to buy multiple terminals. With just one cable and one device, Internet access, TV viewing, and phone calls are all covered.
At the same time, tariffs will drop overall, saving communication costs. After two-way integration, telecom enterprises, SARFT enterprises, and Internet companies will participate collectively, making market competition more robust, which will inevitably bring more favorable prices and better services. New services such as Internet TV, Internet telephony, and interactive and on-demand features will also make communication methods more diverse and convenient. It is estimated that each household can save several hundred yuan per year.
This promising prospect should not keep the public waiting too long. For ordinary people, which network they use doesn't matter, as long as it's sufficient. Experts point out that under the influence of departmentalism, it is difficult for the SARFT camp and the telecom camp to form a united front. The conflict between the two camps is an open secret. Having each side produce its own plan and then seeking common ground is inherently a confrontational approach, naturally requiring multiple rounds of engagement. However, the trend of Triple Play is unstoppable. How many times the plan is revised doesn't matter; the key is that if consensus cannot be reached in the short term and the stalemate continues, the industry's enthusiasm for Triple Play will be gradually eroded, and the public will not be able to enjoy the convenience and economic benefits of new technology anytime soon.
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