Telecom Lead Asia: Broadcom officials say India has the potential to become one of the top 5 STB markets in the world in the next 2-3 years.
The forecast is based on India’s current plans to digitize cable TV markets in another 38 cities by March 2013 and more towns by 2014.
However, there is a word of caution. India will not become one of the top revenue markets for broadcasting equipment suppliers. This is primarily based on current spending pattern by Indian homes. Indian households spend around Rs 200 per month for cable access against America’s $200 per month (includes TV, landline phone / Internet, etc.).
Brett Tischler, senior product line manager, Broadcom, told TelecomLead.com: “India gives major opportunities to us. That’s why the company is expanding presence in the country. Indian STB market will become one of the leading markets in the world.”
Rajiv Kapur, MD of Broadcom, said: “The company is working towards bringing cost effective chips that can be used for emerging markets such as India.”
Broadcom’s technologies are designed to accelerate the Indian cable TV digitization initiatives across the country. “We have already set the stage for new TV and broadband experiences in the Indian homes and showcased cable STB platform supporting low cost digitization efforts,” Tischler added.
At the recently concluded Convergence India 2013, Broadcom demonstrated innovations in networking, Pay-TV and mobile platforms are targeted to India.
Tischler ruled out success for the ambitious project of few television suppliers to bring TV with in-build STBs. “Such projects will not work in India and other markets due to standard issues. It will be difficult to MSOs / LCOs / customers to benefit from such initiatives,” said Tischler, who spoke at Convergence India 2013 event titled “Post Digitization Scenario In India – DTH vs Cable TV Operators”.
Broadcom officials say Indian broadcasting industry is getting ready to utilize advanced technology to better customer experience. China is one of the major countries where advanced technologies are being used.
According to analysts, Chinese cable operators are using Ethernet over Coax (EoC) technology to roll out broadband services to compete with fiber deployments.
The number of TV subscribers in China is 200 million and growing fast.
Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics Research, said: “Cable companies are in the process of consolidating and retooling, and given the organizational and operational challenges that lay ahead, they’ll want to spread EoC rollouts over a longer period of time as they sort out which technologies to use, which markets to target first, and how to best market services they have little to no experience providing.”
The market for Ethernet over Coax (EoC) equipment in China, including master/headend units and modems, is expected to grow at a 33 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2016.
EoC modem shipments are expected to grow sixfold by 2016, when they will make up around 70 percent of total EoC revenue. There are currently 3.7 million EoC subscribers in China, growing to nearly 24 million by 2016.
