Nearly 40 million digital TV households will be added in 2006, bringing the global total to 183 million. A new report from Informa Telecoms & Media estimates that digital penetration of TV households will reach 16% by year-end. According to Global Digital TV - 6th Edition, the North American penetration rate will exceed 60%, with western Europe at 40%. A further 46 million digital homes will be added to the total in 2007.

Adam Thomas, Informa's media research manager, said: "By 2011, 40% of the world's TV homes will receive digital signals - or nearly 500 million households. This indicates that digital growth will accelerate as the decade progresses, especially outside North America and western Europe."

More than 344 million digital homes will be added to the total between end-2005 and end-2011. China will be a major contributor to this increase by accounting for 98 million of the extra homes - or 28% of the global increase in these years. Other significant rises will come in the US (52 million more), Japan (35 million) and India (19 million).

Thomas further stated: "These four countries combined will account for 60% of the extra digital households. However, most countries will experience significant additions to their digital household total."

Digital TV household composition in 2011 (million)

Source: Informa Telecoms & Media

* includes digital and analogue homes

@ Israel and Turkey only

Cable will be the main source of digital TV households, bringing in 274 million homes by 2011. DTH will be the next most popular delivery system at 109 million. There will be 70 million DTT homes (who do not subscribe to cable, satellite or IPTV services) and 35 million households receiving IPTV signals. However, 738 million homes will still take analogue signals, so digital growth is likely to extend way beyond the forecast period.

Split of TV households by delivery system in 2011 (%)

Source: Informa Telecoms & Media

@ Israel and Turkey only

By 2011, 60% of TV households will still receive analogue signals, revealing plenty of scope for further digital growth. More than a fifth of homes will take digital cable, with high penetration in North America boosting this figure. DTH remains the most popular platform. However, digital cable will overtake DTH during 2007. DTT and IPTV have barely started in many territories.

Digital TV homes (million)

Source: Informa Telecoms & Media

@ Israel and Turkey only

North America is expected to account for 41% of the world's digital TV households by end-2006, down four percentage points on the previous year. However, this proportion will be as low as 25% by 2011, with Europe accounting for 30%. Asia will become the dominant continent by 2011, accounting for 41% of the total in 2011 - up from 14% in 2005.

The US is forecast to have 69 million digital households (38% of the world's total) by end-2006. The US will add 42 million more digital homes between end-2006 and end-2011, keeping it at top slot by taking 23% of the global total. China will be in second place by 2011, having gained 96 million digital homes between 2006 and 2011. The top five countries will account for 61% of the global total in 2011, down from 69% in 2005.

By end-2005, the UK had the highest digital penetration rate, at 67%, but will fall to fifth position by 2011. By 2011, South Korea is expected to be the only country with 100% digital penetration, though another eight countries will be above 90% and 26 countries will exceed 50%.

The 332-page report Global Digital TV (6th edition) is published by Informa Telecoms & Media. Informa Telecoms & Media produces a wide range of media business publications, including TV International, New Media Markets, Cable & Satellite Europe and Television Business International. It publishes a market-leading portfolio of regional TV reports - including Asia Pacific TV, Americas TV, Middle East & North Africa TV, Eastern European TV and Western European TV.

About Global Digital TV (6th edition)

Global Digital TV (6th edition) report guides you through the key issues surrounding digital cable, satellite, terrestrial TV and IPTV, highlighting potential growth areas and pinpointing new opportunities. Fully revised, with figures based on year-end 2005 data, Global Digital TV (6th edition) gives you unrivalled coverage of:

• the digital landscape in 45 countries
• 20 in-depth country profiles
• digital subscriber figures, across all platforms
• global rankings and forecasts
• HDTV and mobile TV developments

For more information or to order your copy please visit www.informatm.com/globaldigitaltv?src=itmpr

About Informa Telecoms & Media

Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets. There are two key strands to Informa Telecoms & Media's business:

Providing business critical information

Informa Telecoms & Media produce and distribute business information products using innovative formats and powerful channels that meet the real business needs of their customers. Informa Telecoms & Media's research services, reports and consultancy guides the decisions of over 10,000 leading decision makers.

Creating communities

Informa Telecoms & Media works to actively foster and empower the communities it works with, assisting in debating and sharing best practice, solving problems and stimulating innovation. From magazines to online information portals, from large exhibitions to intimate networking lunches at focused conferences, Informa Telecoms & Media bring the industry together to enable progress within the dynamic telecoms and media markets.

For Further Information, please contact:

Adam Thomas

Informa Telecoms & Media, Media Research Manager

adam.thomas@informa.com

+44 (0) 207 017 4274

www.informatm.com

or

Kathryn Bushnell

Informa Telecoms & Media, Media relations

kathryn.bushnell@informa.com

+44 (0) 207 017 4852

www.telecoms.com