The number of South Korean subscribers to real-time Internet-protocol television (IPTV) has topped the 1 million mark, helped by the expansion of infrastructure and improved service quality, a trade association said Friday.

According to the Korea Digital Media Industry Association, the country’s three IPTV service providers — KT, SK Broadband and LG Dacom — achieved the landmark on Tuesday, about nine months after the commercial service of IPTV started.

IPTV delivers television and movie content real-time through broadband Internet networks instead of using radio frequency or satellite signals as traditional TV does, and also offers video-on-demand (VOD) services. Including VOD subscribers, the number of IPTV viewers totaled 2.01 million as of Tuesday, the association said. VOD service took off before the start of real-time IPTV service in January, when the assembly passed the law to ease laws on providing real-time broadcasting through Internet connections.

IPTV services are spreading faster than other new media services. Cable television channel took more than four years to recruit 1 million subscribers while satellite television service took one year and nine months.

YonhapNewsAgency

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