The number of China IPTV subscribers is expected to surpass ten million by 2011, increasing four-fold, according to one research firm.

We forecast reasonable growth for the next two years, but an upsurge after that says Harvey Tomlinson, researcher at Pyramid.

The firm predicts essentially modest growth for IPTV service in China until 2008, however.

A clash between marketing and planning, compounded by tensions between regulatory agencies, and the need to establish a clear systematic standard will moderate growth in the near-term, the company said.

In the medium-term, however, we expect more players to be licensed to enter the market, with 'convergence' being mentioned for the first time in the most recent five-year plan for the ICT sector, continues Tomlinson.

As operator investments continue, 50 percent of all broadband subscirbers in China will receive IPTV service, the study concludes.

China Electronics