While threats of financial collapse lurk at every corner, global Telcos apparently did enough belt-tightening back in 2000 to 2003 to lessen their exposure to financial volatility. Multimedia Research Group's latest IPTV Global Forecast shows that global IPTV subscribers will grow from 20.4 million IPTV subscribers in 2008 to 89.6 million in 2012. To drive this growth, IPTV Operators worldwide are expected to continue investing in improved Quality-of-Service, ease-of-operation, HD content, exclusive programming and time-shifting as differentiating features.

The new MRG report, IPTV Global Forecast 2008 to 2012 -- October 2008, provides new insight into strategies and services added by IPTV Operators to accelerate growth.

In Europe, for example, steady IPTV subscriber growth continues while more HD channels are being offered to Western and Eastern European subscribers. By 2012, European subscribers will still be slightly ahead of Asia, with Europe maintaining 41.5% of the worldwide subscriber market and Asia, 35.8%. Despite economic contraction, consistent growth continues at the three major French IPTV Operators as they compete to bring better quality and unique content to their users, and as new competition comes online in 2009. Many European IPTV Operators have increased subscribers by offering differentiating services, exclusive content and interactive features. Likewise in Asia, despite flat growth in Japan, rapid growth is expected in China, Taiwan and Korea.

By 2012 North America will have only about 17% share of the total worldwide subscribers, however, it will dominate the global market in terms of gross service revenue at about $13 billion, due to higher ARPU. Together, Verizon and AT&T are projected to have about 3 million subscribers by the end of 2008, and they should continue their rapid growth into 2012. Smaller U.S. and Canadian Operators are following similar strategies.