BT has selected Microsoft's IPTV - Internet Protocol Television - software platform to deliver TV over broadband connections.

The telco will begin trials early next year, with a consumer rollout expected in the summer.

"BT continues to demonstrate its commitment to broadband in the UK through the development of a portfolio of innovative broadband services designed to deliver more and more value to our customers," said Gavin Patterson, group managing director of BT Retail. "BT and Microsoft share a common vision for converged entertainment in the home. TV over broadband services will play an important role in BT's triple-play offering for consumers. Our approach of over-the-air broadcast and broadband-delivered video-on-demand, interactivity and enhanced support is the perfect solution and complements existing TV propositions already in the UK market. The combination of Microsoft’s best-in-class technology with BT’s 21st-century network will result in an incredibly exciting set of next-generation entertainment and communication services available to consumers across the UK."

The delivery method will involve connecting a set-top-box loaded with Microsoft's IPTV software into a BT broadband Internet connection. Although BT has indicated that it plans to complement existing TV platforms such as DSAT and DTT, its focus on video-on-demand services will bring it into direct competition with digital cable providers; NTL and Telewest are currently in the process of rolling out VOD services on their networks.