Home Networking Factoids and Women in Wyoming

S2 Data Corporation recently issued an IPTV report focused on customer premise equipment.  It's the only we've seen that really delves into what's going on at home.

They assert that among the more critical challenges facing Telcos is the distribution (and management) of new digital services to multiple devices and locations within the home.  Robust home networking, predictable quality of service, high performance and ease of use unsurprisingly top the list of "key requirements."

According to their research (and we can only share so much), in 2005 the total of broadband subscribers reach more than  141 million worldwide and is expected to reach over 300 million by 2010.  But the U.S. remains behind relative to broadband penetration and ranks third out of five regions (after Europe and Asia) on the DSL subscriber forecast list.

A key driver for triple play services, like IPTV, is fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).  S2 Data forces 7.8 million FTTH worldwide subscribers at the end of 2005 but expects subscriber uptake to balloon to over 36 million by 2010.

The report is one of the most comprehensive looks into the home from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint - differing from others in that the forecasts provided range from IPTV subscribers to the number of set top boxes with advanced networking that will be deployed - and everything in between.

Here were some of the more interesting findings:

• The U.S. is second to last in the IPTV subscriber forecast count, behind every region but "the rest of the world"
• IP-enabled set top boxes will explode from 1.6 million in 2005 to over 20 million by 2010
• Intelligent network interface devices (iNIDs) that combine the functions of a traditional NID with residential gateways will blur the demarcation between the home and operator networks but will give operators a chance to more easily manage and offer new managed services
• The cost of installing IPTV in a "typical" (if there is such a thing) three-room deployment takes approximately 3.5 hours with two installers (using CAT-5 cable) and costs US $421 (for a million subscribers that is $421 million)

So whether or not you believe the IPTV or triple play market has legs (until now it's been mostly over-hyped and under-developed), operators everywhere are placing massive bets and putting hordes of investment into it.

Even in, of all places, Wyoming where it's illegal for woman to actually come within five feet of a bar (it's true, see for yourself) IPTV is happening.