Not even a global financial meltdown can stop IPTV. Despite the worldwide economic crisis, subscribers to telco TV, which includes TV delivered by telecom operators via IP as well as other technologies, will grow more than three-fold by the end of 2012, reports In-Stat. In several key markets, like Brazil, Korea, and India, recent regulatory changes have given telco TV a real boost, the high-tech market research firm says.

“A number of new countries, including places as varied as Montenegro, Jordan, and Ghana, saw the launch of their first commercial IPTV offerings in 2008,” says Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst. “Only a few markets, like Japan and Argentina, remain hamstrung by restrictions that hinder incumbent operators.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Telco TV subscribers will grow to 71.6 million, worldwide, by 2012.
• In the same period, worldwide subscriber revenues will increase to $26.6 billion.
• Quadruple-, double-, and single-play packages are joining triple-play offerings.
• Convergence applications, like the ability to control set-top boxes from PCs and mobile phones and multi-platform video distribution, are beginning to emerge.

The research, “Worldwide Telco TV Services 2008: Explosive Growth Continues”, covers the worldwide market for Telco TV. It discusses:

• Where telco TV services are growing
• Who is providing telco TV
• How successful they have been to date
• What types of services are being offered

Worldwide five-year forecasts for subscribers and subscription revenues based on ARPU are included. The research also looks at key players including AT&T, Verizon, France Telecom, Telefonica, Deutsche Telecom, and China Telecom as well as other incumbent and emerging operators around the world.