Firms tap into IPTV (internet TV) business: China Telecom, Tiantian Online, China Netcom, CCTV, PCCW

From English.eastday.com: Firms tap into IPTV business


"China now has about 100 million cable TV subscribers and nearly 23 million broadband Internet users. Analysts expect the country's broadband users to hit the 40 million mark this year. "

"In 2005-06, we'll see the market grow four times year-on-year annually in terms of the number of subscribers," Wu (analyst with research house IDC China) said.

"IDC forecasts the number of IPTV subscribers will exceed 8 million in 2008 compared to less than 20,000 in 2003."

"China Telecom plans to launch large-scale promotions of IPTV in most cities in the country this year, following the launch of the Internet TV service in Shanghai last August."

"Tiantian Online, a joint venture of China Netcom, US venture capitalist IDG and other strategic investors, last May gained an online broadcasting licence, the first of its kind in the country, to broadcast audio and visual programmes on the Internet. "

"CCTV has said it expects to recruit 600,000 IPTV subscribers this year."

"According to an executive with Hong Kong's fixed-line carrier PCCW, the firm has seen the number of its IPTV subscribers soar to 350,000 by November from 3,000 in September 2003 when the service was launched. Now 40 per cent of PCCW's broadband subscribers are using the broadband TV service."
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