Telefónica in Spain has provided an example of how to leverage existing OTT investments to extend the reach of its services – making its television content the centrepiece for a public transport infotainment service. The company has just launched ‘PlayRenfe’ for travellers on high-speed trains on the state-owned rail network, Renfe. ‘PlayRenfe’ is described as a first-of-its-kind infotainment service for continental Europe, using the onboard Wi-Fi to give passengers access to their favourite Movistar+ programmes.
The service harnesses OTT infrastructure that was previously built with the help of NAGRA, namely the MediaLive platform including studio-approved DRM. It includes exclusive content tailored to Renfe travellers including live TV, films, popular TV series, sports, current events and travel programmes. There are also online books, music and passenger information services. Consumers can choose from a basic or premium option.
Users need to download the PlayRenfe app to their portable devices or access the service via a web portal. PlayRenfe is currently available on the Madrid-Sevilla rail line and will progressively roll out to the full Renfe AVE network, which includes 100 high-speed trains.
“Our MediaLive Suite delivered on the requirements of a very complex project, leveraging the current OTT infrastructure we deployed at Telefónica. The result only allows Telefónica to extend their service offering beyond the home, and in this case in the public transportation sector,” says Thierry Legrand, SVP Sales EMEA at NAGRA.
Fernando Enrile, TV Product Director at Telefónica, adds: “Our goal for this project was to provide a unique and high-quality experience to Renfe passengers and to deliver a reliable and advanced service in a highly challenging environment. This required an expertise that few technology companies can provide. NAGRA is one of these companies and the launch of PlayRenfe would not have been possible without their support.”
