Telefónica Spearheads New Quintuple-Play Service in Spain
As one of Spain's largest broadband and telecommunications providers, and indeed, one of the world's largest, Telefónica is no stranger to innovation in the digital and communications industry, however the company, that also trades as O2, Vivo and Movistar, has broken another boundary in the world of telecoms.
The company is set to release a plan that improves upon its existing home broadband and "quad-play" plans: quintuple-play. The package, available to Movistar customers from June 17, will be the first to feature a home security component, where customers will be sent a variety of equipment which will afford then a 24/7, 365-day home security system that is connected to the emergency services. Subscribers will have the ability to control, manage and review all of the data collected by the devices from a smartphone application, all of this cutting-edge technology being protected by security software and hardware provided by Sigfox, one of Telefónica's French subsidiaries, that will ensure transmissions from home to phone are impossible to block.
Subscribers will pay €16 per month in service fees on top of €9 per month for equipment rental, in turn receiving a central unit, an inhibition detector, a door sensor, an FHD remotely controlled camera, two key ring remote controls and a deterrent plate. All of these items are easy to use and can be set up by the user themselves.
It's Telefónica's first move in to the world of the Internet of Things (IOT) and home automation, and if the plan goes off without hitches, it could cement the company as one of the forefront providers of these sorts of services.
If proven, Telefónica's new technology could be used in other applications. The iGaming industry, for instance, could use security software of the ilk Sigfox is providing. As millions of people worldwide are enthralled by daily bonuses and promotions at sites such as Uptown Aces, the sheer volume of deposits and withdrawals could appear tempting to the hackers or scammers of the world. With "impossible to block" transmissions, this threat could be virtually eliminated.
The question remains, however; will consumers across Europe and America want to set up these kinds of home security systems in their homes in the first place? With crime rates falling to ever-low levels, and issues concerning unwarranted government surveillance constantly circulating in the media, the notion of having a constantly-controllable, possibly hackable network in our might send a shiver down many a spine.
Do you plan on subscribing to the new service? Let us know your thoughts below.
