Although the UK and US are usually quick to adopt new services and technology, we’re still lagging behind in accepting IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) according to industry analyst, Gartner.
While France, Hong Kong and Spain have already adopted IPTV over fixed line Internet services, the US is in ninth place – while the UK doesn’t even appear in the top ten.
According to 2006 figures, France had 1.55 million IPTV subscribers, followed by Hong Kong with 876,000 and Spain with 380,000.
The adoption of IPTV is dependant on several factors such as the availability of broadband Internet access and copyright laws for content running over an IPTV network, which vary from country to country.
Other factors include whether pay-TV has already been accepted in a country and whether premium content has already been locked by other broadcasters. Competition from cable and satellite operators can also affect the uptake.
In the UK, Sky and Virgin Media are well-established operators with a strong subscriber base, which makes it difficult for IPTV services like BT Vision to compete.
Via
IPTV Watch
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