The Hindu Business Line : IPTV set-tops: Motorola in talks with Reliance

Motorola Inc is in talks with Reliance Infocomm to sell Internet-Protocol-TV set-top boxes to the latter. "We have a set-top model that is completely compliant with the requirements specified in the Reliance tender, in particular that it should be compatible with Microsoft," said Mr Pat Canavan, Senior Vice-President, Global Marketing and Portfolio management, Motorola, at a conference here on Tuesday.

This set-top model has been developed in collaboration with Microsoft and AT&T, said a senior official with Microsoft, who said the ultimate demand from Reliance Infocomm could be for between three million and 5 million set-top boxes.

Other Indian entities in broadband are also issuing requests for proposals for IPTV set-top boxes, said Motorola officials. The Tatas-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is one of them. The State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is likely to be another.

Should the requests for proposals actually convert into large orders, then Motorola may get a hardware company like Foxconn (Taiwan electronics components manufacturer) to manufacture the set-top boxes for it, said officials.

Foxconn, it may be recalled, proposes to set up a special economic zone jointly with Motorola and the Tamil Nadu Government near Chennai.

Chennai unit

About Motorola's manufacturing unit planned near Chennai, "work is in progress" and the project will happen "sooner rather than later."

Motorola will also participate in the current tender for GSM equipment from BSNL; and certainly bid for the GSM tender , they said.

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