Telstra primed for T-box launch in June April 2, 2010
TELSTRA will launch T-Box, its set-top box rival to Foxtel, in June, according to media and advertising agencies that are being briefed on a marketing campaign.
A national campaign has been pencilled in for June to promote the T-Box, which is being trialled in about 200 homes. Its launch is believed to have been brought forward by weeks due to the imminent arrival of broadband-delivered pay TV interloper Fetch TV, sources say.
The set-top box will allow users to watch the digital free-to-air channels, BigPond TV, movie downloads and yet-to-be-revealed content on their TVs. It could put Telstra in direct conflict with pay TV company Foxtel, of which Telstra owns 50 per cent. But will Telstra have enough compelling content - such as first-release drama - to get people to subscribe?
''If all it is is BigPond TV, then that's not going to be enough to get anyone to take it up. If that's it, it is going to fail miserably,'' said a Telstra agency insider.
A Telstra spokesman said: ''Pricing hasn't been released yet, but it will be competitive. BigPond content such as movies, music, news, sport and weather will be unmetered for BigPond customers, so it won't count towards their download quote.''
In relation to Foxtel, he said: ''This is a separate device and offering.''
