Telco TV Emerges As True Multi-play Competitor

IPTV uptake is increasing on a global scale as telcos develop compelling multi-play offerings to compete with cable and satellite operators. Infrastructure upgrades and strategic alliances between major industry players have enabled tier two and tier three telcos to deliver IPTV, leading to significant growth in rural markets. IMS Research forecasts that by 2012, over 52 million pay-TV subscribers worldwide will have adopted IPTV service with IP STB shipments growing nearly 30% annually during this time period.

The IMS Research study ‘IPTV: A Global Market Analysis – 2008 Edition’ examines the worldwide IPTV market from infrastructure to operators, providing analysis on the delivery of linear and on-demand content via IP-based networks by telcos, as well as by cable and satellite pay-TV operators. The study reveals that as a whole, an estimated 6 million IP-enabled set-top boxes shipped worldwide in 2007 across these three platforms (cable, satellite, IPTV).

Shane Walker, research analyst and author of the study, states, “The ability of smaller telcos to acquire and deliver compelling programming will lead to IPTV subscriber growth outside of established markets such as France, Spain and Italy. Several countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America, such as Russia, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Chile, will see significant IPTV subscriber uptake through 2012. In the US, SES Americom’s IP-Prime alliance with the NRTC and the NTCA is expected to accelerate time to market for rural telcos by reducing the cost of entry into the market for IP-delivered digital video. We see a similar trend developing in several countries around the world.” The multi-play offerings being rolled out by telcos to gain a competitive advantage include a combination of IPTV, VoIP, Internet, mobile and premises security in addition to advanced services such as VOD.