US BROADBAND PLAYER LOOKS FOR CABLE TV TIEUPS

San Francisco-based leading broadband services provider (Internet over cable), SoftNet Systems Inc, has decided to forge alliances with Indian cable operators through joint ventures to help them provide Internet-related services to their subscribers, including those via satellite.

According to SoftNet Systems' chairman and chief executive, Lawrence B. Brilliant, "We are here in India to forge joint ventures with cable operators and invest in joint ventures."

Though Brilliant refused to divulge the details of investments earmarked for India, despite saying "I have an idea", he admitted that at present they are flush with cash. SofNet is the company in which former founders of Star TV, the Hong Kong-based Li family have invested about $ 129 million recently.

Brilliant said he will be holding talks with Indian MSOs and big cable operators. He pointed out that SoftNet Systems and US-based Mediacom LLC, a top 10 US cable TV operator, have recently announced an agreement under which Mediacom has committed approximately one million cable homes passed for SoftNet's ISP Channel high speed Internet access.

Through the ISP channel, SoftNet provides a complete Internet service partnership to cable affiliates which includes cable head-end equipment and integration, Internet backbone connectivity and technical support and subscriber management systems.

The ISP channel offers high speed Internet access that is many times faster than standard dial-up service, key for such use as downloading files, graphics, audio and video.