India’s leading telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel is seeking permission from the Department of Telecom (DoT) to launch its new progressive download (PDL) service in the country.

The PDL service will offer two services to the users, the video-on-demand and Catch-up TV services under the Unified Access Services Licence (UASL) as Internet protocol TV (IPTV) services. The service will use the infrastructure support that is covered under direct-to-home (DTH) and Internet service provider licenses.

The subscribers will have to be an existing Airtel DTH and broadband customer to be able to access the new PDL service. The company will distribute the total revenues from customers between Bharti Telemedia and Bharti Airtel.

The company wrote that about 70 per cent of the revenue from PDL service will be generated by Bharti Airtel and the remaining by Bharti Telemedia. The company has not confirmed reports that it has sent a communication to the authority seeking permission for the new service.

Sanjay Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel had recently indicated that non-voice services is an area to focus in the coming future. The telecom service provider already generates about 22 to 23 per cent of its revenues from non-voice services.