Sofrecom is capable of acting along the entire IPTV value chain by surrounding itself with top-flight partners to bring innovative solutions to its customers and help them improve their customer relationships.
In 2007, to pursue its growth objectives, Andorra Telecom chose fibre optics to deliver its innovative services. Since 2009 smooth operation of its IPTV platform has been guaranteed by Sofrecom, which provides proactive solutions, and collaboration between Andorra Telecom and Sofrecom has grown with the passage of time.
Premium services as the driving force in growth
Andorra Telecom operates in a very specific context. A public operator in the Principality of Andorra, Andorra Telecom is also the only operator in a market which by definition is limited and composed of local residents (84,8251 inhabitants) and visitors (10 million per year). To achieve its growth objectives, the operator has chosen to deploy fibre optics to provide innovative and efficient services to the customers of its SOM brand.
Andorra Telecom, a responsible partner of Andorran society, must provide universal service in a mountainous environment home to a sparse population, a third of which is rural. Despite the extra short-term cost that deployment of a FTTH network entails when compared to the migration of its ADSL network to VDSL, the operator has preferred to anticipate the rapid increase in volumes of HD video and set up a quality infrastructure for its IPTV offering.
Though currently most content is in Spanish, the Andorra Telecom user interface is available in many languages, including Catalan, French and English. Sofrecom has been responsible for maintaining the service platform since 2009.
There are major challenges related to this service. Customer satisfaction and the reputation of the Andorran operator not only depend on the quality and continuity of service, but also on the ability to adapt technical support to the changing IPTV platform.
Andorra Telecom aims to integrate new services and increase its customer base, and the quality of service provided helps it reach these goals.
From reactive maintenance to proactive solutions
Sofrecom’s input has two parts: implementation and management of a 24/7 hotline, as well as engineering consultancy.
In addition to the smooth operation of the hotline, Sofrecom brings its engineering expertise to on-demand and proactive solutions, with high added value for the Andorran operator.
During these two years of operation, Sofrecom teams have established reporting processes to track ongoing activities, identify major problems and suggest appropriate solutions. This has helped Sofrecom establish a closer relationship with Andorra Telecom, in order to better understand its issues and more effectively meet its needs.
For example, Sofrecom was asked by the Andorran operator to manage a project to extend the network head: design of a redundant full IP architecture, addition of antennas, and addition of Harmonic equipment. To achieve this architectural upgrade, Sofrecom called on four partners from three different countries. Subsequent to this operation, Andorra Telecom was able to launch 13 new HD channels to enhance its package.
Operational architecture set up for IPTV service maintenance
