Top 5 Tech Articles You Might Have Missed – Week Ending December 11, 2015

USA Today reported on the expansion of AT&T’s ultra-fast fiber network, GigaPower, to 38 new markets including parts of Los Angeles and West Palm Beach, Fla. AT&T has already launched the...

USA Today reported on the expansion of AT&T’s ultra-fast fiber network, GigaPower, to 38 new markets including parts of Los Angeles and West Palm Beach, Fla. AT&T has already launched the gigabit-level Internet service to 18 markets with plans to launch to additional markets in 2016.

The free falling prices of 4K TVs are expected to increase consumer adoption of the Ultra HD technology. According to a recent study by IHS, 4K TV household penetration in the United States is expected to reach 34 percent in 2019, reported Multichannel News. The study also predicted that by the end of 2017, most 50-inch-and-larger TVs worldwide will feature 4K resolution.

A recent study by Paywizard found that OTT services will be popular through the holiday season with 52 percent of viewers planning to use an online TV service, reported Rapid TV News. The study also found that an additional 27 percent are planning to experience OTT this Christmas.

According to analyst firm Ovum, SVOD subscriptions are expected to reach 4.7 million by end of 2019, up from 270,000 in 2014, reported iTWire. The analyst firm highlighted that the SVOD boom in Australia, however, will not wipe out existing pay-TV and free-to-air (FTA) TV services.

Finally, a latest report from Spanish regulator CNMC, found that pay-TV has grown rapidly gaining an additional 1.4 million clients in a year on top of its existing 5.5 million subscriber base, reported Advanced Television. The rise in popularity of pay-TV in Spain is attributed to convergent packages offered by cable operators and better infrastructure.

  1. AT&T expands speedy GigaPower fiber network in 38 new markets (December 7, 2015) By Edward C. Baig, USA Today: On Monday, the company announced that it is expanding the availability of this broadband 1-gigabit per second all-fiber Internet service into 38 new metropolitan-area markets, including the parts of Los Angeles and West Palm Beach, Fla., that are launching today.
  2. One-Third of U.S. Homes Will Have 4K TVs in 2019: IHS (December 11, 2015) By Jeff Baumgartner, Multichannel News: Most 50-inch-plus TVs will have 4K by end of 2017.
  3. Half of consumers go over-the-top at Christmas (December 8, 2015) By Editor, Rapid TV News: Over-the-top (OTT) will be hot this Christmas, with 52% of viewers around the world planning to use an online TV service during the festive season, says Paywizard research.
  4. Ovum: SVOD boom not the death of Pay TV or Free TV (December 8, 2015) By Alex Zaharov-Reutt, iTWire: If you think SVOD services such as Netflix, Presto or Stan will be the death of Pay TV of Free-to-Air (FTA) TV, Ovum says no.
  5. Pay-TV gains momentum in Spain (December 8, 2015) By David del Valle, Advanced Television: Convergent packages along with better infrastructure is driving pay-TV growth with almost one in four (24.4 per cent) of homes in the country receiving pay-TV services as of the end of first half other year, according to the latest report from the regulator CNMC.