IPTV equipment sales strong in first quarter, Infonetics Research says

If revenue from the sale of equipment is any measure of an industry’s prospects, the outlook for the IPTV market appears to be rosy with worldwide revenue reaching nearly $424 million in the first quarter of the year, according to a report from Infonetics Research.

The report, “IPTV Equipment, Services, Subscribers and Capex,” showed worldwide IPTV equipment manufacturer revenue jumping 153 percent in 2006, easily passing the $1 billion mark.

While the IPTV equipment market is expected to grow at a more moderate pace in coming years, all categories but one tracked by Infonetics are forecast to at least double or triple between 2006 and 2010.

Among the report’s highlights:

  • Worldwide revenue from pure IP set-top boxes (STBs) was up 15 percent in the first quarter of the year;
  • Service providers around the world increased pure IPTV service revenue 178 percent and hybrid IPTV/over-the-air service revenue 268 percent in 2006;
  • Motorola maintained its worldwide lead in the IP STB market in the first quarter;
  • The number of pure IPTV subscribers hit 7.3 million worldwide, and hybrid IPTV/over-the-air subscribers hit 1.6 million in 2006;
  • Fifty-six percent of worldwide IPTV equipment revenue in the first quarter came from Asia Pacific, 32 percent from EMEA, 11 percent from North America and 1 percent from CALA; these percentages will shift considerably by 2010.

For more information, visit www.infonetics.com.