Internet TV subscribers top 1 mln in S. Korea

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Korean subscribers to real-time
Internet-protocol television (IPTV) has topped the 1 million mark, helped by the
expansion of infrastructure and improved service quality, a trade association
said Friday.
According to the Korea Digital Media Industry Association, the country's three
IPTV service providers -- KT Corp., SK Broadband Co. and LG Dacom Corp. --
achieved the landmark on Tuesday, about nine months after the commercial service
of IPTV started.
IPTV delivers television and movie content real-time through broadband Internet
networks instead of using radio frequency or satellite signals as traditional TV
does, and also offers video-on-demand (VOD) services.
Including VOD subscribers, the number of IPTV viewers totaled 2.01 million as of
Tuesday, the association said. VOD service took off before the start of real-time
IPTV service in January, when the assembly passed the law to ease laws on
providing real-time broadcasting through Internet connections.
IPTV services are spreading faster than other new media services. Cable
television channel took more than four years to recruit 1 million subscribers
while satellite television service took one year and nine months.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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