The UK Independent Television Commission has given British Telecommunications Plc the go-ahead to offer video on demand services over telephone lines, deciding that the service did not need to be licensed as local delivery services. It said that as long as individual videos were sent via phone lines to one household at a time in response to a specific request, a delivery licence was not necessary. Such a service, however, would need a licensable programme service licence. It is nevertheless far from certain that the company will decide that it is worthwhile entering the business: it is due to decide whether to pursue it at a board meeting later this month. Some are also sceptical that ordinary phone lines will be adequate for video.
