IPTV underdeveloped in Australia
May 8, 2008
The Australian market for IPTV and Internet video is less developed than many other international markets, with fewer than five IPTV providers and fifteen Internet video providers offering full-length professional content directly to consumers, according to a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Industry participants interviewed for the study believed that IPTV and Internet video will become more common in Australia in the future but there was disagreement over the actual timeframe, with estimates ranging from 18 months to three years.
Internet video providers believed that capped plans for broadband access and the cost of downloads were important barriers to take-up and deployment. Capital expenditure requirements were cited as a major barrier for potential IPTV deployments, although this may become less important with a national fibre to the node (FTTN) network rollout.