Operators of telecommunication firms in Nigeria are planning investments to bring Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service to Nigeria, a report by Research&Research has disclosed. The IPTV industry, with current global revenues of $29 billion, which is projected to increase to double to about $56.8 billion by 2016 has begun attracting the interest of telecom operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Industry experts note that several firms are making plans on how to exploit this virgin market in Nigeria. IPTV is expected to pose a threat to satellite television in sub-Saharan Africa due to the growing spread of broadband internet technology.
One of the leading ISPs in Nigeria, ipNX Nigeria Limited, has made verbal commitment towards investing in this area. The company announced on Wednesday that it would begin offering IPTV services to consumers on the back of its fibre-optic technology.
ipNx’s Group Executive Director, Ifeanyi Amah, explained that the IPTV market is bound to generate enormous interest by consumers once it arrives in Nigeria due to recent improvements in broadband internet service. “I think there is a huge market potential for IPTV in Nigeria. This is considering efforts by government and private sector to improve broadband infrastructure,” Amah said.
Amah also disclosed that ipNX recently acquired a license for providing IPTV services in Nigeria. “When the service fully comes on stream, and with on-demand, catch-up and multi-screen features, customers can now watch what they want, when they want and with any device (e.g., TV, PC, laptop, tablet) of their choice.”
