Optus today confirmed that technical testing of its two-way interactive digital television platform was progressing well with technical suppliers and more than 35 content partners.

Adrian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Consumer & Multimedia, said the first phase of the trial was on track and creating much interest.

"We are using state-of-the-art technology and innovative content partners to combine the picture and sound quality of digital television with the interactivity of internet technology. It is a very exciting stage in the development of these technologies in Australia."

"Interactive TV is one option available to us to further exploit the powerful technological capabilities of the Optus broadband network. It is an important part of keeping our consumer business vibrant and ready for the future," Mr Chamberlain said.

Trial participants are receiving a wide range of features via their existing televisions including TV Net, TV Mail, Optus Television content and a fully interactive electronic program guide.

Pace Micro Technology supply high-speed DOCSIS-compliant digital cable set-top boxes and Liberate Technologies supply the middleware for the trial. Both Pace and Liberate were instrumental in the world?s first deployment of broadband interactive TV with Cable and Wireless Digital, the UK?s first digital interactive cable TV service.

Already, trialists can:

• Choose from up to 40 channels including family, sports, movies and lifestyle channels, free-to-air channels, local/promotional/shopping channels, basic and premium channels and themed channel packages;
• Select radio channels with digital quality sound - local, national, international and themed audio channels;
• View a range of movies (starting at 15 minute intervals).

Trialists can also access a host of online services via their TV including:

• TV Mail
  • one email service (OptusNet) with instant access via the TV or PC;
• TV Net
  • instant access to a number of websites specially provisioned for Optus including;
  • news, weather and travel, sports news and results, dating and lifestyle content, music, education, what's on and cinema session times;
  • t-commerce - shopping and broking services with the ability to browse and purchase products and services from a number of retailers and financial institutions;
  • web games - board games, trivia, card games, fantasy and puzzles.

"The trial is being carried out within existing Consumer & Multimedia budgets and does not include any formal commitment for us to proceed with a commercial rollout of an Optus iTV service," Mr Chamberlain said.

Interest in the trial has been extremely positive, with more than 35 content partners signed to date for the TV Net component of the service. These represent more than 40 sites across a range of categories including news, sport, shopping, finance and entertainment.

For more information:
Melissa Favero
Cable & Wireless Optus
Phone: (02) 9342 5030