earticle

영어

This study was intended to suggest an idea for activating domestic IPTV business by investigating business strategies of foreign communication companies, such as PCCW in Hong Kong and FT in France, which have successfully provided IPTV service. PCCW is a top communication company in Hong Kong and has 2.6 million, 1.2 million, and 1.3 million members in telephone, mobile and broadband service respectively. It posted total sales $2.8 billion in 2008 with 82% of the sales coming from cable or internet service and about 10% from IPTV service. Regulations and environment of competition for IPTV business in Hong Kong are friendly to communication companies. As IPTV is classified into pay broadcasting service, any company acquiring the right can provide IPTV service. PCCW started IPTV service in 2003 and its main strategies were predominant contents, two-way service, extended QPS(Quadruple Play Service), and flexible price policy. Firstly, PCCW acquired exclusive airing rights of core contents such as ESPN and EPL soccer and screened foreign programs such as Disney, HBO, and Star Movies which were not put on cable TV. Secondly, it activated two-way service with its own channels of 'Now sports' and 'Now shop' and investigated on-demand two-way advertisements as well. Thirdly, it provided seamless service with QPS by combining killer contents and additional service. Finally, it cut rates when existing internet customers joined IPTV service in early stage of business and continued to release channel-based plans or package plans. These strategies led not only growth of IPTV service but also positive effect on M/S increase in related business area such as the broadband. France Telecom(FT) is the best network provider and global communication company and it provides wireline and wireless communication, internet, IPTV, and business data service. At the end of 2007, it had 110 billion members in mobile service and 54 million members in cable and broadband. Total sales in 2008 was about 53.4 billion Euros which with 29.4 billion Euros from personal communications and 22.9 billion Euros from home communications including IPTV. It marked average annual increase of 40% of sales of IPTV service and increase of 50.2% of members between 2006 and 2007. FT launched IPTV service late in France. However, FT achieved both 66% of IPTV market penetration and increase of sales in home sector by preoccupying home network market with the strategies of premium contents, consolidation of brand (Orange) royalty, screen expansion, and development of home gateway device first in Europe. Firstly, FT tried to secure rights for sports and movie contents and, as a results, opened a sports TV station of ‘Orange Sports TV’ and launched a channel of 'Orange Cinema Series’. Secondly, it promoted differential brand and service strategy. Thus, all the brand was unified as ‘Orange.’ Thirdly, it promoted screen expansion by extending IPTV service to mobile as well as PC. It also increased new business market through the extended window such as on-line advertisements. Finally, it developed home network business using Livebox, combined terminal. Currently, real time IPTV subscribers exceeded 1 million in Korea. And it seems to be need to benchmark successful strategies of foreign IPTV companies such as two-way contents, screen expansion, and flexible price policy for expansion of customer base. Finally, this study has limitation which is business oriented and it is recommended to consider various approaches to fundamental IPTV activation such as system and regulation in the future.

한국어

본 연구는 방송과 통신의 융합 서비스인 IPTV에 대하여 해외 통신기업들은 어떠한 사업전략으로 IPTV 서비스를 본 궤도에 올려 놓았는 지를 살펴봄으로써 국내 IPTV 사업 활성화에 대한 시사점을 도출하는 것이다. 해외 통신기업으로 현재 IPTV 서비스가 가장 활성화되어 홍콩의 PCCW社와 프랑스의 FT社를 중심으로 수행하였다. 현재 국내의 경우 지상파 재전송, IPTV 망 고도화 등을 통해 실시간 IPTV가입자 100만명을 초과하였으며, 추가적인 고객기반 확대를 위해 양방향 컨텐츠 개발, 스크린 확대 및 고객니즈 충족 가격정책 등 해외 IPTV사업자의 성공전략을 보다 면밀히 검토할 필요가 있다. 끝으로 본 연구가 너무 사업자 관점에서 진행되었다는 한계와 함께 향후에는 제도, 규제 등 보다 근본적인 IPTV 활성화를 위한 다차원적 접근이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.