The Broadband Forum came out with figures this week that says there are now 500 million broadband households in the world, but perhaps more important for our readers is the fact that IPTV is taking root in more countries. During the past quarter another 2.3 million IPTV subscribers were added taking the total to over 38.5 million.
IPTV is now on 7.7% of global broadband lines which is the same as Q1, and shows that the two are growing in step right now.
Europe remains the most established region for IPTV with almost 19 million subscribers, of which almost half are in France. China (with Hong Kong and Macau) had the most net additions this quarter, 421,000 , ranking it second, with the USA in third place with almost 6.5 million existing subscribers.
China dominates the Asian IPTV market with over 6.7 million IPTV subscribers, although there is enormous potential in countries such as India which are just at the start of IPTV. Indian operators will have to install more physical fixed lines first, before it can move them up the scale to broadband and then IPTV, because at last count there were only 37 million broadband lines in India.
On the broadband front one in every five of the world’s households now has broadband said the Broadband Forum, using research prepared for it by UK analyst Point Topic.
Oliver Johnson, CEO of Point Topic, said: ‘It has only taken 11 years to get to half a billion fixed broadband lines. The internet and all that it brings has taken hold like no technology since the invention of fire.
China remains the powerhouse of global broadband and was responsible
for 43% of all net broadband lines added in Q2 2010. While Europe fared fairly well in these figures especially Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland and Turkey. Central and South American markets have slowed and are now growing at between 5% and 7% while in the USA broadband growth has almost stopped on the back of the end of the housing stimulus packages there.
‘IPTV has seen a steady quarter this time. Most IPTV markets have not reached saturation, so there is plenty more room for growth. Although the second quarter of 2010 doesn’t quite match the same period last year there is reason for particular optimism in Asia and North America. As more and more consumers switch to fiber for their broadband we will
see the numbers of IPTV subscribers climbing in those markets where FTTx deployment is powering ahead,’ said Oliver Johnson, CEO of Point Topic.