Investment flows to S Korea IPTV

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South Korea’s internet protocol TV market will attract some US$1.58 billion in investment in 2008, the country’s Broadcasting and Communications Commission said.

The major telcos and KT in particular, will put Won1.06 trillion into upgrading their networks ahead of the launch of broadcast channels later in the years. To date, just on-demand content has been available but a law change late in 2007 allowed the telcos to launch real-time broadcasting. The commission will reveal new regulations for the sector in May.

Set-top boxes will cost the operators a budgeted Won223 billion and content will be another major outlay, with Won180 billion allocated for that.

KT, which operates the Mega TV platform, will invest some Won1.3 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in 2008, with Hanarotelecom putting Won122 billion into its network and services. Hanarotelecom’s Hana TV is the market leader, with 810,000 subscribers to its current on-demand offering at the end of 2007.


Source: Rapid TV News

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