Cooperatives of TelViso (Del Viso, Buenos Aires ), Tlvgg (Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Santa Fe) and Telpín (Pinamar, Buenos Aires), have jointly acquired three platforms for IPTV and want to start the service once they have completed legal requirements of the market. "We did it together because the business requires more scale, created a bloc for more cooperatives to join," said Ariel Fernández, manager of the cooperative of Del Viso, to Convergencialatina.

The three cooperatives currently provide basic telephone and broadband services. With this addition, will also offer Triple Play. However, have not yet determined if they would unify the three benefits in bills.

The platform they will use is Minerva, by which each entity paid about US$ 300,000. It is a system that contemplates Open Digital channels (TDA) and those of Red Intercable. In addition, has software that lets one view two menus, a traditional one with a guide and another interactive, which enables one to see VOD, access the Internet, and a special channel with local services such as pharmacies on duty or "deliveries " in the area.

Conrado Molina, director of Tlvgg, said this means that the service will have a similar grid to that of other TV operators via physical links, in SD and HD, and at first the rights of signals will depend on Colsecor and Red Intercable. "Today we are only testing with TDA," he said.

"We have already installed the IPTV platform. We will be the first associative entity in providing this service, which leads to a series of extra costs for the integration of technical issues and content. In addition, we had to open roads in the regulatory domain. They are “dues" we’ve been paying , which has delayed our launch," continued Fernández.

The road to licenses. The three entities began a series of meetings with the Federal Authority of Audiovisual Communication Services (Spanish: Autoridad Federal de Servicios de Comunicaciones Audiovisuales, AFSCA) and the National Communications Commission (Spanish: Comisión Nacional de Comunicaciones, CNC) to advance in the regulation. In fact, the union of Villa Gobernador Gálvez had, in May, started the process of the first Internet TV license before the body headed by Martin Sabbatella. "We have managed to coincide with an opinion that IPTV is not Internet, but a broadcast service, so we do not have to request a license with added value but process it directly through the AFSCA" he said.

The cooperative of Villa Gobernador Gálvez is waiting for the pay TV license via physical link for Villa Gobernador Gálvez and the definite resolution for Alvear and Pueblo Esther, nearby locations that have been awarded to them by the AFSCA - technically IPTV- in February, 2012. This entity received the first request for an IPTV license on behalf of a cooperative in May.

The official reported that the platform is now in a stage of configuration and field tests. For Telviso, Fernandez said that its implementation are connected with fiber and have a backup to satellite dishes.

"This is a significant event in our institutional life and fruit of the professional work carried out by human resources of the three cooperatives that for several years have been studying technology platforms, vendors, training, development of independent operators and field testing," said Molina.

Telpin had begun the process to receive a TV license in early 2010 and launched the investment required for the service to run on IP networks and in May this year the AFSCA gave it the authorization. The IPTV service of Telpin will compete against: La Capital Cable, of Cablevision, the only and current television provider in Pinamar, which also offers services in Necochea and Mar del Plata.

"The three cooperatives are generating a critical mass to begin experimenting with content. In our case we’ve installed set top boxes in the houses of employees with 30 test channels to see the first reactions, since it is a new way to watch TV," said Fernandez, who in turn said they expect to launch the service by year-end and added: "The goal is to protect our broadband customers and cannot lose users in hands of a cable company. The option of giving television is a defense strategy."