The total number of IPTV subscribers worldwide passed the 20mn mark at the end of 2008, according to new figures from Informa Telecoms & Media, taking into account both disclosed and estimated figures.

Released on the opening day of the IPTV World Forum, the new research indicates that the 90 IPTV networks which released their subscriber figures to Informa Teleoms & Media account for 19.98mn, while estimates for a further 20 networks take the total to 20.12mn.  The study adds that IPTV is now active in nearly 60 countries.

“It is a fair observation that IPTV has not made the sort of inroads into broadband homes which operators might have expected, but it is wrong to declare that the concept is doomed to fail,” said Julian Herbert, Principal Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.  “In markets where the bandwidth is available and the marketing and pricing are attractive, IPTV is attracting big volumes of new customers and helping operators to improve retention rates and increase fixed line ARPU.

”Look at operators like AT&T – over 800,000 net adds in 2008 - or Free and France Telecom in France, PWCC in Hong Kong or Portugal Telecom: all are growing their market shares strongly in competitive TV markets,“ he added.