The transition from analog to all-digital broadcasts will be completed in the U.S. by February 2009, and most Western European countries will terminate analog TV broadcasts by 2012, will help to drive a predicted demand for digital television services. Other factors will also drive DTV's penetration in the U.S. and Western Europe, such as the growth of bundle offers of different services, a demand for better quality and more content.
Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) households in Europe and the US will increase from 26 million in 2007 to 55 million by 2012, according to the report. This will amount to an average annual growth of 16%. The report predicts a large migration away from free-to-air services as bundle packages and content are improved by more providers in the regions.
Digital cable services and DTT will be the two fastest growing platforms, predicted to achieve achieve net household increases of 50 million and 30 million, respectively. Among other platforms, IPTV will gain an average yearly growth at around 28%, reaching almost 23 million households by 2012. Satellite services will achieve a moderate 5.5% growth, which still amounts to a 20 million increase in subscribers by 2012.










