Profits in Korea’s market for IPTV or Internet protocol television are expected to expand nearly 10 times by 2012.
All analog broadcasting services are to be suspended in Korea starting that year.
Ovum, a leading British-based authority on telecoms, software, and IT services, said in a recent report that IPTV profits in Korea will increase to over US$310 million in 2012 with almost 3.5 million subscribers.
Ovum includes Korea as one of 16 countries with the highest potential in developing IPTV technologies. Along with Canada and Singapore, Korea was given a grade “A” for bright prospects in the field.
IPTV is considered a major step forward in converging broadcasting and telecommunications. By allowing viewers to see TV programs movies and other content via computer networks, people can watch whatever they feel like it. The Internet connection also lets viewers shop and play games online using their TV sets.
And with Korea’s three major broadcasters agreeing in December to provide real-time programming Korea has finally become capable of launching a full-fledged IPTV service.
Ovum says that although Korea was late in establishing related laws and providing real-time services for IPTV subscribers, the country will be able to overcome the gap with its widespread high-speed Internet access and well-founded infrastructure.
Arirang News
