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Base turns to Internet TV to cut cable bill

Cable television is just a mouse click away for airmen at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

Looking to cut its $70,000 annual cable TV bill, the base is switching to a system that pumps cable TV news channels to desktop computers across the base.

“Internet Protocol television eliminates the need for cable drops, and doing so allows us to watch current events live through television news and weather channels, without having to look for a cable television hookup in your building,” 2nd Lt. Brennon Smith, 49th Communications Squadron, plans and resources flight commander, said in Holloman news release.

Holloman spends more than $70,000 a year for 82 official users and 271 users in the dorms and billeting. As a result of the rising costs of individual subscriptions and the constant need for activation and installation of new cable drops, switching to IPTV — which allows users to access cable television from a simple local area network drop over the base network — could save more than $15,000 per year.

IPTV channels include MSNBC, the Weather Channel, CNN and Fox News. Additional channels that will be added in the future include the Commander’s Access Channel and Commander’s Calls Channel.