Akamai Technologies’ customers are now delivering high-definition video over the Internet, the content delivery equipment vendor announced today.

“We are just at the beginning of a very exciting market opportunity for delivering premium HD content,” said Mike Afergan, chief technology officer for Akamai. “Consumer demand exists, broadband is ready, and businesses are looking for ways to maximize the value of their high-production HD content.”

Akamai’s announcement comes just days after its competitor, Limelight Networks, announced a partnership with Microsoft for the latter’s Xbox LIVE video game player.

Web-delivered HD video would theoretically allow Web-based content companies to use the broadband networks of triple-play providers in competition against them.

One hour of HD video consumes about 2.5 gigabits, according to Gary Croke, marketing director for CacheLogic, another content delivery equipment vendor. In general, broadband users need at least 6 to 10 Mb/s service in order to enjoy HD video, he said, making AT&T and Verizon’s fiber-based services sufficient as well as some cable broadband offerings.

Broadband speeds are not as much an impediment to Web-delivered HD video as content delivery networks are, Croke said. “HD breaks the economics of content delivery,” he said.

CacheLogic is one of a group of firms attempting to use some form of peer-to-peer networking technology to help content delivery networks ease the burden of distributing large volumes of HD video.

“I think this fall you’ll see more [Web-delivered HD video],” said Robert Livetan, chief executive officer for Pando Networks, another peer-to-peer-based content delivery supplier. “By the 2008 Olympics, I think a lot of people will be watching HD video.  Sports is great for HD. A year from now, I’m predicting we’ll be watching a lot of HD.”