OLDS — A project underway this spring and summer to change out existing O-NET technology for a new, cloud-based technology will provide customers with TV service as convenient and sophisticated as the big players like Telus, Bell or Rogers provide.
That’s the message from O-NET chief operating officer Matthew Anderson and Brent Williams, the town’s chief administrative officer.
During interviews with the Albertan, Matthews and Williams said the approximately $400,000 project is essential because O-NET's current TV technology is aging and wasn’t kept up well enough to meet the competition.
It will also provide the company with the technology necessary to export O-NET's services to other communities in the country. And that expansion is necessary to strengthen the company, they said.
Williams said the creators of O-NET meant well, but technology has changed.
“The unintended – or unforeseen matter – was the aging TV technology. Our legacy system, which was original from 2012, it was aging out,” Williams said.
“It wasn’t cloud-based, which most new systems are, that you would get from Telus and Rogers or Shaw, and the hardware wasn’t maintained well enough, so it’s now failing.
“And to keep that system running is too expensive an investment to justify, so that’s why we need to transition to a new platform.
“And in the meantime, we’re just trying to band-aid the current system until it gets there.”
"That’s why this spring and summer we’re doing a complete ripping – every nut and bolt of that TV platform out and replacing it with a brand new state-of-the art TV platform all the way to the user,” Anderson said.
All the set-top boxes that O-NET customers currently have will be replaced with new ones that will provide the new service.
That service will also be provided via an O-NET app. So customers will have a choice.
They can stay with the current set-top box service, utilizing the traditional TV remote, or download the app on their phone, laptop TV or other device and receive the TV service that way.
"In general, the set-top box is for customers who would like to stick with the traditional TV remote control to navigate their TV experience and that’s that traditional, big rubber button remote,” Anderson said.
“The TV platform will run exactly the same on an Apple TV, a Roku stick, any android device, smart TVs and Amazon fire stick.”
Customers who wish to stick with the set-top box service can arrange to have O-NET staff come in and replace their old set-top box with a new one or go to the O-NET office, pick up the new box and install it themselves.
“Plug it into your TV and plug it into your ethernet cable if you have it or just connect it to your WiFi and you’ll have the benefits of the traditional remote and traditional feel and experience of a TV platform,” Anderson said.
He said the company expects to begin providing the new service to customers by late spring or early summer and roll it out to all customers from then on. He anticipates the process will likely be complete by around August.
Anderson said the changeover won’t result in increased bills for customers, at least “at this point.”
“The TV package, at this point, will not be changing. Your subscription rates, at this point, will not be changing," he said.
In fact, he said if customers who currently have more than one set-top box in their home transition to the app, their monthly bill could actually decrease.
Anderson said more information on exactly how the roll-out will work will be emailed to customers in the coming weeks or months.
