Vodafone Group, in another display of commitment to so-called ‘quad-play’, is reportedly planning the launch of a new TV service in Ireland that will see it compete head-on with cable operator UPC, satellite broadcaster Sky and incumbent Eircom.

According to the Irish Independent, the new TV service is likely to include a set-top box that offers access to a package of channels.

Apparently, Vodafone Ireland has held discussions with “several industry players”, including Sky, and trials are set to begin before the summer, with launch later in the year.

Vodafone Ireland is already preparing the launch of a FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) service. In a €450 million deal struck with energy supplier ESB last year, the operator is rolling an FTTH network across Ireland.

Ireland’s quad-play market shows some signs of warming up, with UPC Ireland soon to launch a mobile service. Eircom, meanwhile, has 30,000 TV customers.

Over in the UK, Vodafone is shortly expected to announce plans for the spring launch of a consumer broadband service, which, reported the Financial Times, would be followed by a cloud-based TV service later in the year. It’s no doubt a defensive move, responding to the likely tie-up between BT and EE, which would see the creation of a company dominant in both mobile and fixed markets.

Elsewhere in Europe, Vodafone has purchased Ono in Spain, Germany’s Kabel Deutschland, as well as being involved in an ongoing bid with Wind for Greece’s Forthnet, in an attempt to boost its quad-play credentials.