International Telecommunication Union
ITU-T
IPTV – Market, Regulatory Trends
and Policy Options in Asia-Pacific
Reza Tadayoni, M.Sc.E.E., Ph.D.
Center for information and
communication technologies (CICT)
Technical University of Denmark
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Overview, Monday
ITU-T
o Definition
o IPTV in triple play
o Development of broadband and IPTV
o Media market
o Challenges for development of IPTV
o Regulation of broadcasting
o IPTV regulatory issues
o Conclusion
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Definition (I)
ITU-T
o IPTV: Is provided over managed networks
• Linear/Nonlinear, live TV/on demand
• mostly professional made but room for User Generated
Content
• Same or even better quality than traditional TV
o Internet TV: Is provided over the Internet
• Mostly nonlinear and on demand.
• Increasingly User Generated Content
• Reduced quality
o Mobile TV: Is provided over mobile or broadcast networks
• Linear/Nonlinear, live TV/on demand
• Mostly professional made but room for User Generated
Content
• Can be a version of IPTV: like DVB-H IPDC or DAB-IP. Other
standards: DMB and MediaFLO
• Reduced quality but mobile consumption
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Definition (II)
ITU-T
o IP platforms
• Managed
— Local
— QoS , Security, Multicast
— Open or closed
• Internet
— Global reach
— Best effort
— Open: Huge potentials for service innovation
o Broadband platforms
• Fixed (Wired or wireless): xDSL, FTTx, Cable TV, WiFI,
WiMAX, …
• Mobile: 3G, beyond 3G, mobile WiMAX, …
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
IPTV in a triple play architecture
ITU-T
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Development of broadband and IPTV
ITU-T
o Broadband is developing
rapidly, both in terms of
penetration and
bandwidth
o Huge potentials for
telcos and other
broadband providers to
include services beyond
voice and Internet
access.
o IPTV will be a vital
service, as it gives the
telcos access to the E-
IPTV Subscribers in Asia Pacific media market
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
6
Media market (Source: Price Water house)
ITU-T
o World Media
Market 2006,
€1300 bn
o TV - the largest
Segment
o IPTV - more than
TV, will include
other parts of E-
media market
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
7
Challenges to development of IPTV
ITU-T
o Technological
• Minimum bandwidth of 20 Mbps
• End-to-End QoS provision
o Economic
• Cost
• Business model
• Complementarity versus competitiveness
o Regulatory/policy
• Several parameters, which are the subject
of the rest of presentation
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulation of broadcasting (I)
ITU-T o Technological parameters
• Resource scarcity
• Interference.
o Economic parameters
• Market failure: Public goods: non-exclusivity
(once a good is produced nobody can be excluded
from using it ) and non-rival consumption
(additional consumers can use the good / service
at zero marginal cost )
• Vertical Integration & Horizontal concentration
• Other market failures:
—Externality
—Natural monopoly: Economy of scale / scope
—Asymmetrical information
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulation of broadcasting (II)
ITU-T o Content specific (political) parameters
• Decency, ban on offensive content, regulation of
commercials, protection of minors, consumer protection,
plurality, cultural development, ….
• The media can be used by children and people unable
to read, therefore it is:
— Optimal media for education (and propaganda /thought
control)
— Optimal media for development of cultural and
language related issues as well as handling security
specific tasks
— Optimal media to develop democracy and overall
political goals.
o Historical parameters
• Emergence from telegraphy.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulatory issues of IPTV (I)
ITU-T
o Convergence: Institutional barriers and the
fragmented regulatory situation. The institutional
setting is identified as one of the main barriers for
the creation of an efficient framework for the
development of IPTV services.
o Licensing, authorisation, registration. Different
countries use different approaches creating
varying levels of barriers.
o Organisation of services and bundling. Because
cable TV has been treated as a local monopoly,
there have been strict rules on the organisation of
services. This may change and we may see a
development from tiers/packages to ‘à la carte’.
This depends on the attitude for content providers
and regulators.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulatory issues of IPTV (II)
ITU-T
o Standardisation and interoperability. A number
of different standards are available for IPTV.
Here, there is a huge challenge for the industry
and regulation to create open standards as well
as creating interoperability between different
standards.
o Rights issues and DRM. The rights issues
become increasingly important when we move
to the IP platforms. This is definitely a barrier
for development.
o Retransmission of terrestrial signals. The
success of IPTV depends on the content. Here,
retransmission of terrestrial content will play a
major role.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulatory issues of IPTV (III)
ITU-T oMust carry. Cable operators will require level
playing field, when it comes to regulation.
o Set-Top-Boxes. By developing multi platform
set-top-boxes, the industry can contribute to
the creation of more choices and better
utilisation of resources.
o QoS. QoS is mainly a parameter that will be
handled in the managed IP network. QoS may
become a regulatory parameter
o Content: related issues. Issues like cultural,
language, and industry protection are as
important in the IPTV world as in other technology
areas.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Regulatory issues of IPTV (III)
ITU-T
o Industry protection.
• Many evidences show that IPTV development is
not a priority because the governments want to
protect cable TV operators and their investments.
• We see also that governments protect their
investment plans for DTT
• In this respect IPTV may be seen as a disruptive
technology
• However, IPTV is future oriented and there are
huge potentials. Also from a industry
development view. The regulators and policy
makers should give room for a healthy
development of IPTV market.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006
Conclusions
ITU-T o IPTV develops rapidly in the Asia Pacific
o Market potentials are high
o The demand side have shown their huge interest
o Telcos and broadband providers see this as an important chance to
expand their market
o IPTV is more than another platform for broadcast TV
o IPTV will not only take part in TV market. IPTV will merely take part
in the E-media market and expand it.
o To reap the potentials there is need for an efficient regulatory
framework for the converged services like IPTV. The case studies
show that there is, a.o., need for:
• Common definitions and common regulatory framework regardless of
technologies
• Convergence of institutions
• Resolving the content rights issues
• Put standardisation and interoperability on the agenda
o However its is also important to have cultural, consumer protection
and societal goals and utilise the capabilities of the technology to
promote local content, etc.
ITU-T IPTV Global Technical Workshop
Seoul, Korea, 12-13 October 2006