RailTel has delivered yet another successful project: OTT (Over-The-Top) platform named WAVES for Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster, offering a broad spectrum of entertainment and news content. The OTT platform will host all the archives from Prasar Bharati, including from Doordarshan and All India Radio.
The app was officially launched on November 20, 2024, at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa with Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh. Pramod Sawant officiating the launch. The app is now available for download on Android, iOS devices, connected TV (Google TV, Apple TV, LG, Samsung, Roku etc), Firestick, and Chromecast.
The platform aims to cater to a wide audience with its mix of live channels, movies, TV shows, games, and live events. The OTT platform developed has many Industry firsts like – the integration of Hyperlocal e-commerce shopping platforms, and varied types of content (e-books, Podcasts, Magazines & Journals). It has many app-in-app integrations with different third parties like other OTT platforms and aggregated OTT providers.
Content will be available in standard definition, high definition, and 4K. The platform will be able to initially serve 10 million users concurrently and will be scalable to up to 100 million users.
As part of the project, RailTel has designed, developed, and commissioned the OTT platform for Prasar Bharati. The scope covered the following broad areas:
* Development of core OTT Platform, Content Management System (CMS), and User Management.
* Content ready for Ingestion, Set up a Media Ingestion Room, and provided a Media Asset Management System (MAM)
* Provided Data and Application DC and DR on the cloud and set up the Content Delivery Network (CDN).
* Advanced user and content analytics, detailed reporting, and security architecture like Digital Rights Management (DRM) and copyright management.
* Artificial Intelligence (AI) features like Transcription /Translation across 20 + Languages, advanced recommendation, personalization engine, and advanced usage analytics.
The OTT platform supports multiple subscription options like – simultaneous logins, content quality control (SD, HD, and UHD), download for offline viewing, and access to a premium ad-free viewing experience. The platform is integrated with multiple ad servers and payment gateways to maximize revenue CPM and global reach.
RailTel is also responsible for the operation, maintenance, and service support initially for five years. It has also established a multilingual 24 x 7 Call Centre for handling users/subscribers’ queries.
The OTT Platform is designed to serve Live TV Channels, FAST TV Channels, On-Demand Video Content (AVOD, SVOD, and TVOD), Live Radio Content, On-Demand Audio Content etc. media services as per the prevailing industry standards.
