Travel on the Internet
BT is trialling a new service that allows anyone connected to the Internet to watch videos of holiday destinations and travel information, with an option to book by telephone after viewing.
BT Interactive is being tested by around 700 people in London at a cost of just ú30 a month for a continual on-line service. BT admits this is only a trial price.
The service works by using a transmission technology called ADSL. This compresses signals sent down telephone lines, allowing more signals than normal to be sent. The system opens the way to broadcast quality videos that arrive at a much greater speed than through traditional technology.
So far, videos supplied by the BBC, ITV’s Wish You Were Here and the cable channel TravelShop can be viewed by those taking part in the trial.
Travel technology experts believe implications for the travel industry are great if the trial, which finishes in July, leads to a permanent service. This is the first time travel video has been available on the Internet at a reasonable speed.
Travel technology expert Paul Richer, who is one of those trialling the product, said: “This is the kind of thing we are seeing on cable already. Not many people have cable, but there are more and more people coming on to the Internet. The technology is there to eventually make the service bookable.
“This is a fabulous medium in which to sell travel. We can’t be very far away from a time when a PC and a TV are one and the same thing.”