UK and US slow to adopt IPTV

by Jan Harris

The UK and US, both of which are usually quick to adopt new services and technology, are lagging behind in the uptake of IPTV according to industry analyst, Gartner.

France, Hong Kong and Spain have been quick to adopt IPTV over fixed-line internet services, but the US is in ninth place and the UK does not even appear in the top 10.

According to Gartner, in 2006 France had 1.55 million IPTV subscribers, followed by Hong Kong with 876,000, Spain with 380,000 and the US with 207,000.

The adoption of IPTV is dependent on several factors such as the availability of broadband internet access and copyright laws for content running over an IP network, which differ from country to country.

Factors such as whether pay-TV has been accepted in a country, and whether premium content has already been locked in by other broadcasters, are also important in determining whether IPTV is readily adopted.

Competition from cable and satellite operators can also affect the uptake of IPTV services. Satellite company Sky and cable operator Virgin Media already have a strong subscriber base in the UK.

It is difficult for IPTV services, such as BT Vision, to compete against such well-established operators.

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