Com Hem upgrades Android TV service

Tele2-owned Swedish cable operator Com Hem has upgraded become one of the first European operators to upgrade its Android TV Operator Tier-based service, the Com Hem TV Hub – to Android P.

Com Hem tapped its technology partners 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) and Technicolor to implement the shift.

3SS said the move meant that Com Hem had become one of the industry’s first major operators to leapfrog from Android N directly to Android P, the latest version of Google’s Android TV Operator Tier offering for service providers.

Android P is said to enable an improved user experience on low-end devices, an improved set-up process, auto-play installs of apps and autofill of passwords and sign-ins, among other things.

Com Hem TV Hub was developed as the first major hybrid Android TV Operator Tier implementation in 2018. The service uses a 3SS-designed and deployed UI/UX with custom launcher based on the 3READY product framework.

“We congratulate Tele2 for its ongoing commitment to innovation, and to providing best-possible experiences to subscribers.This development is also significant in that it demonstrates that Android TV is future-ready, and that live, deployed services can be upgraded to comply with ongoing Android version updates. This means that operators choosing to base their next-gen TV services on Android TV can be confident that they can offer their viewers all the very latest Android features throughout a service’s lifecycle,” said Kai-Christian Borchers, 3SS managing director.

“Technicolor Connected Home is very excited about our partnership with Tele2. We are proud to be leading the implementation of new Android TV releases and features in the market. Android P introduces additional flexibility for service providers to create applications and customize UX/UI experiences for subscribers. We have integrated these capabilities in our STB portfolio, and this will allow operators to build new revenue-generating business models,” said Mercedes Pastor, SVP for the Eurasia customer premises equipment business unit at Technicolor.