In a recent press briefing, Swedish tech giant Ericsson said they have developed a new hybrid concept already tested but not yet deployed anywhere else in the world that makes use of a DTH (direct-to-home) receiver that catches satellite signals and then routes the content through traditional copper wire infrastructure.

Lars Dahlberg, head of multimedia and systems integration at Ericsson Telecommunications, said with the satellite solution, there’s no stopping the arrival of IPTV, short for Internet protocol television, in the Philippines.

The company also previewed at its office at the Bonifacio Global City an IPTV solution that can be deployed on MDUs (multidwelling units), such as buildings and apartments, using a set-top box that can send digital content through copper cables.

The Swedish firm said although IPTV may still be in its infancy, it is expected to turn into a mass-market service over the next few years. "In short, the addressable market for IPTV services is as big as the fixed-broadband market which, in another five years, will be approaching 600 million access lines."

In the Philippines, the National Telecommunications Commission has mandated television stations to switch their content from analog to digital not later than 2015. If followed, this would allow programs to be viewed ondemand or at the convenience of the consumers. Advertisements can also be suited to the personal profile of the subscribers.

But while IPTV is oftentimes associated with television companies, it is also within the domain of mobile phone operators who may want to use it as an added customer service and as a vehicle to increase their revenue in the face of declining traditional telephony.

According to Dahlberg, it is up to both parties the television companies and the telecom carriers to drive the growth of IPTV in the country although mobile operators have already gone digital in their infrastructure a long time ago.

"I don’t think IPTV is that far away. The shift has, in fact, started," declared Dahlberg, pointing out a mobile phone, aside from a TV set or a PC, can serve as an IPTV device.

The official said the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), a body advocating the interoperability of wired and wireless consumer devices, is paving the way for the proliferation of IPTV.

Early this year, Nokia announced that the Nokia N95 8GB had become the first mobile phone to receive DLNA certification. This means that the phone can act as a "server" to transmit digital content to a full-sized TV screen.

The executive said that even if the technology’s financial viability still remains a question for television firms and operators, the reality is that moving into the digital space is beneficial in the long run.

Freeing up a single analog frequency can bring five digital TV channels, Dahlberg said, adding "content providers would definitely have a field day."

"This is a new technology space. I’m sure they wouldn’t want not to be there," he said. This is a reason why Ericsson recently acquired a company which converts broadcast content in digital form, he shared.

"In Sweden, analog TV has been switched off," he disclosed, although he admitted that Europe is an entirely different environment and that "we have to work on own way here in the Philippines."