IPTV subscriber numbers doubled during the 12 months to 30 June 2006, according to a new analysis from Point Topic. The total number of people worldwide paying for TV services supplied via Internet Protocol (IP) increased from just under 1.5mn to almost 3mn. Europe is the most important region for IPTV, with the strongest growth in subscriber numbers during the period. "There has also been a large number of service launches", says John Bosnell, Senior Analyst at Point Topic. "This growth reflects the developed and competitive pay-TV market in many European countries." Hong Kong's PCCW remains the largest IPTV operator, with 444,000 paying IPTV subscribers, and a total of 654,000 TV connections (not all TV services require a paying subscription). France Telecom had over 300,000 paying customers, whilst Telefonica in Spain grew strongly to 267,000 TV subscribers. "The picture of IPTV development worldwide remains a complex one", Bosnell points out. "The success of an operator in executing an IPTV strategy depends on many things, among them the competition, the type and condition of the network and the local regulatory environment", he says.
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