IPTV To See Dramatic Growth In Asia: Report

Internet television (IPTV) is set for a dramatic growth spurt in Asia Pacific despite the relative novelty of the technology, according to a new report from In-Stat.

The firm expects IPTV services to grow at a rate of 80% annually in the Asia Pacific region over the next five years, with revenues reaching $4.2 billion in 2010. Indeed, according to In-Stat, triple-play services will soon become standard offerings from Asian telecommunications providers.

"Increasing broadband penetration gives telcos the opportunity to leverage their investment in broadband networks while broadening their service offerings," In-Stat analyst Bryan Wang said in a statement. "But deployment, launch and marketing strategy specifics are largely still on the drawing board for quite a few carriers."

According to In-Stat, most of the regional growth will occur in large markets like China, Japan, India and South Korea. The big IPTV providers are likely to be The major IP-based video service providers leading the market in the region are expected to include Yahoo!BB, Korea Telecom, Chunghwa Telecom, PCCW, China Telecom, China Netcom, SingTel and Atlas Interactive India. However, providers in deregulated markets like Japan and South Korea have something of a head start, while their counterparts in China must still obtain IPTV licenses.