Layer3 TV, the self-described next-generation cable operator, said it is conducting marketing tests in Washington, D.C., and other markets, but that it has not yet launched services outside of Chicago, its first market.
TV Predictions reported this week that Layer3 TV had launched service in Washington, D.C., as well as nearby areas such as Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, Va., and Bethesda, Md. Patch issued a report last month that Layer3 TV was offering hands-on demos and collecting service leads at kiosks located in Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Va.
While it’s expected that Layer3 TV will launch a service in that region eventually, it hasn’t yet. A company official said Layer3 TV is conducting marketing tests in the D.C. area and in a number of other markets around the country to gather leads and to gauge interest in the company's service.
However, if one inputs a Washington, D.C., zip code on the Layer3 TV web site, it does pull up a proposal for its base “Platinum allHD” service (200-plus channels in HD, 10,000-plus VOD titles) along with its “white glove installation” for $99 per month for 12 months, and four channels of Epix for the first six months. Layer3 TV’s marketing pitch for that region also touts add-on premium multiplexes from HBO ($15 per month), Cinemax ($20 per month), and Showtime ($11 per month), along with En Español PLUS for $10 per month, Movies & Music PLUS ($10 per month), and Sports & Info PLUS ($10/month). Interested customers are also prompted to customize the top and case of their set-tops – in white or black, with “more colors coming soon.”
Comcast and RCN are the incumbent cable operators in the Washington, D.C., area.
Layer3 TV recently launched its full-freight pay TV service in Chicago starting at about $75 per month. Layer3 TV, which currently offers a 4K channel from NASA and has plans to add more channels in the advanced format, is also conducting a trial with Suddenlink Communications (now part of Altice USA) in some parts of Texas under the Umio TV brand.
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Layer3 TV has been seeking installation technician positions in markets such as Denver, Houston and Washington, D.C.
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Though Layer3 TV does not own the last mile network into the customer home (it uses standard interconnection deals with MSOs such as Comcast for that), it does operate a ‘super headend’ in the Denver area to collect and aggregate programming before distributing it to the local market via a dedicated, private connection.
“We control as much of the network as we can,” company CEO Jeff Binder said in an interview (subscription required) during a recent visit to the company’s Colorado data center. “We don’t see congestion in the last mile.”
