France - Convergence - Triple Play & Digital TV

Synopsis

France is one of Europe’s key markets for telecom convergence. It has Europe’s largest IPTV sector, while a fast-growing number of consumers have adopted bundled offers. The success of this market largely rests on fierce competition which has brought the cost of most bundles to below €30 per month. DSL operators have invested in network upgrades incorporating ADSL2+, while the incumbent France Telecom is deploying a wide-reaching hybrid ADSL/fibre network providing high bandwidth services to meet consumer needs. The consolidated cable sector is now dominated by Numéricable, which manages an upgraded network capable of competing effectively with DSL offerings. Significant progress has also been made in France’s digital terrestrial TV sector, with the first region having been switched to digital services. This report reviews France’s multiple-play and digital TV sectors in 2010, including services such as VoD and IPTV and developments in digital, cable and satellite TV. It also examines the latest regulatory measures relating to digital convergence and applications.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Convergence
  
  • 2.1 Key general trends
    
  • 2.2 Business models
    
    • 2.2.1 Bundled services
      
    • 2.2.2 Quadruple play models
      
  • 2.3 Regulator issues
    
    • 2.3.1 VoIP
      
• 3. Digital TV
  
  • 3.1 Overview
    
  • 3.2 Broadband TV (IPTV)
    
    • 3.2.1 Orange
      
    • 3.2.2 SFR
      
    • 3.2.3 Free
      
    • 3.2.4 Bouygues Telecom
      
  • 3.3 Video-on-Demand (VoD)
    
  • 3.4 VoIP
    
  • 3.5 Interactive TV (iTV)
    
  • 3.6 Cable TV (CATV)
    
    • 3.6.1 Cable consolidation
      
  • 3.7 Satellite-based digital pay TV developments
    
    • 3.7.1 Canal+
      
    • 3.7.2 TPS
      
    • 3.7.3 GlobeCast
      
    • 3.7.4 Orange
      
    • 3.7.5 AB Group
      
    • 3.7.6 TNTSat
      
    • 3.7.7 PVRs
      
  • 3.8 Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV)
    
    • 3.8.1 Background
      
    • 3.8.2 Regulatory framework
      
    • 3.8.3 Digital switchover
      
    • 3.8.4 Digital dividend
      
    • 3.8.5 DTTV launched
      
  • 3.9 Free-to-Air (FTA)
    
• 4. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – IPTV subscribers; proportion of DSL base – 2004 - 2008
• Table 2 – France Telecom IPTV subscribers – 2005 - 2009
• Table 3 – France Telecom pay-TV subscribers – 2007 - 2009
• Table 4 – Free broadband subscribers – 2005 - 2009
• Table 5 – VoIP traffic as proportion to all traffic – 2004 - 2008
• Table 6 – VoIP lines and traffic in minutes – 2004 - 2008
• Table 7 – VoIP subscription revenue – 2006 - 2007
• Table 8 – France Telecom VoIP and Livebox subscribers – 2005 - 2009
• Table 9 – Cable pay TV subscribers and penetration – 1997 - 2009
• Table 10 – Satellite pay TV subscribers and penetration – 1997 - 2009
• Table 11 – Canal Group revenue – 2005 - 2009
• Table 12 – Canal Group subscribers – 2006 - 2009
• Table 81 – CanalSat subscribers – 2007 - 2009
• Table 14 – Orange TV subscribers – 2007 - 2009

• Exhibit 1 – Overview of media convergence
• Exhibit 2 – Graph showing TV households (thousands) by broadcasting medium – 2007 - 2008