Hong Kong leads in IPTV

Hong Kong is leading the world in the acceptance and usage of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology.

PCCW Ltd, Hong Kong’s former fixed line monopoly but currently the world’s largest provider of TV over the internet, boasts over 700,000 subscribers to date.

The IPTV service allows subscribers to view sports, financial news, or other pay per channel choices, over their IPTV capable cell phones from any where in the world where broadband is available.

Only three years after first getting started, PCCW’s piece of the broadcast market is almost equal to the traditional cable services. PCCW presently goes out to more than 1/10th of Hong Kong’s populace. Analysts predict that by the end of the year, it will be at break even on an operating basis.

The success of PCCW in the Hong Kong region has raised the interest of telecom service providers world wide, including US giant AT&T. Most of the world’s providers are only in the trial stages with IPTV services, and mass deployment of IPTV world wide is not in the immediate future.

Although experts agree that the IPTV service offers great potential, they warn that there are hurdles facing suppliers. With unclear regulations (most countries are still not sure how IPTV should be defined – broadcasting or telecommunications) and troublesome technology, it may be a slow road to any kind of profitability.