The Telus rollout of its Internetbased Optik TV is gathering momentum.

Less than a year since the soft launch and public debut by Telus, the Vancouver-based communications giant has acquired 10 per cent of the total B.C.-Alberta TV subscription market.

However, the Optik TV infrastructure is at present available only to about two-thirds of the population, so market penetration runs closer to 15 per cent in the 48 communities that can so far access it.

"We did have a previous TV product but this one is far superior," Telus chief commercial officer Joe Natale said in an interview at Vancouver head office.

"If you look at the number of homes in Western Canada, there are roughly 3.2 million homes -and we've got 10 per cent market share in a short period of time . . . which speaks to the excitement around the product, the capabilities of the product, and how much of an opportunity there is for it in the marketplace."