Latin American Telecommunications and Entertainment Industry Undergoes a Major Shift in Business Models With IPTV, States Frost & Sullivan

Latin American Telecommunications and Entertainment Industry Undergoes a Major Shift in Business Models With IPTV, States Frost & Sullivan

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The telecommunications and entertainment industry in Latin America is experiencing a major shift in business models bringing with it new services such as Internet protocol television (IPTV), new competitors, and new challenges that includes digital distribution of content.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO)

IPTV refers to the delivery of digital television and other audio and video services over a broadband data network. It can deliver live and on-demand digital television and video services through set-top boxes and similar devices to television sets or personal computers (PCs) in standard and high-definition formats. IPTV is different from Internet TV, which is essentially a method for streaming video content to the user over the unsecured Internet.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.ipcommunications.frost.com/), Internet Protocol Television - Is Latin America Prepared?, finds that the IPTV services will reach 2.2 million subscribers in Mexico for the year 2012 if the incumbent company has the legal attributes to provide this services with in its portfolio.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an e-mail to Catalina Rossini, Corporate Communications, at catalina.rossini@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to you by e-mail.

When IPTV was launched, it did not have the optimal infrastructure for adequate deployment in Latin America.

"Currently, broadband penetration allows IPTV to be deployed efficiently and some Latin American countries are beginning to provide the service," says Frost & Sullivan Consultant Jose Manuel Mercado. "However, legal barriers and continued lack of infrastructure in some countries in the region are slowing the pace of its use."

Presently, for instance, service providers in Brazil and Argentina have not gained regulatory approval to offer this service, limiting consumers' pay TV options and restraining competitiveness. In other countries such as Mexico, with a widespread broadband penetration, only one company, with limited clients, provides the IPTV service, while the incumbent Telmex, with almost 5 million accounts, does not have the legal approval to offer the service.

"IPTV is a key opportunity for operators not merely for the revenues it could generate, but also as the best method for service providers to increase their subscriber base, incorporating quadruple services to their clients, and providing value-added services in a sector where the average revenue per user (ARPU) decline is beginning to affect operators," concludes Mercado. "Wireless-integrated multiple access (WiMAX) deployment is a better way to offer the service to rural and marginal areas in Latin America."

Internet Protocol Television - Is Latin America Prepared? is part of the Communications Services Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Mexican Telecommunications Services Markets, IPTV in Latin America, VoIP in Latin America 2008, and Latin America Data Communications Services Markets. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com/.

Internet Protocol Television - Is Latin America Prepared?
N596

Contact:
Catalina Rossini
Corporate Communications - Latin America
P: + 54-11-4777-4777
F: + 54-11-4777-0071
E: catalina.rossini@frost.comhttp://www.frost.com/

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Frost & Sullivan

CONTACT: Catalina Rossini, Corporate Communications - Latin America of
Frost & Sullivan, + 54-11-4777-4777, fax, + 54-11-4777-0071,
catalina.rossini@frost.com

Web Site: http://www.frost.com/

-------
Profile: intent