IPTV and digital TV continues rapid growth in Asia-Pacific region : Informa

Despite the global recession last year, more than 35 million homes upgraded from analog to digital TV.

In 2009, 26 million new homes subscribed to pay-TV, comprising of 14 million to cable, 9 million to DTH and 3 million to IPTV.

Research also shows that these sectors will continue to grow impressively over the next five years.

Adam Thomas, media research manager and lead analyst, said: "By 2015 there will be well over 400 million digital TV homes, including 40 million taking IPTV, which in turn will generate revenues of more than US$40 billion."

Thomas said: "There are increasingly positive signs for digital TV in the region. Competition between the platforms is intensifying and this is pushing digital upgrades up the agenda of many operators."

Informa forecasts that Asia-Pacific's 21 per cent digital TV penetration rate for 2009 will increase to 54 per cent by the end of 2015.

By 2015, digital penetration will have reached 100 per cent in four markets including Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore, while another four markets, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, are expected to have achieved a penetration rate of 70 per cent or more.

Thomas said that while globally IPTV has failed to make any real impact. It does remain important in the Asia-Pacific region and he exepcts IPTV subscribers to grow by 25 million over the next five years.

"Which means that it will become a significant rival to cable and DTH in some markets, notably via SingTel's mio TV in Singapore and Korea Telecom's Qook in South Korea," said Thomas.

He added: "Despite this generally positive picture, our research found that digital upgrades will not be easy to achieve in some markets. In the cable sector in particular, subscribers are taking some convincing of the need to upgrade from analog to digital. Although there is good news in China where the government's proactive approach to converting analog to digital is promoting upgrades."