‘Satellite TV channels to remain dominant in Arab world despite spread of Internet streaming’

AMMAN — Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) will not be able to outstrip satellite TV channels in the Arab world, which are expected to be dominant for the next 20 years, experts said Tuesday.

The experts noted that although the number of satellite TV channels in the region is fluctuating and witnessing a decline, they will still dominate the media scene and are not expected to face fierce competition from IPTV, which is a way of streaming video onto a television via a set top box and an Internet protocol suite instead of using cable or satellite.

“IPTV and YouTube are not expected to replace satellite TV in the Arab world,” Nabil Al Shanti, vice president and chief commercial officer at Arabsat, said at a session during the Arab Advisers Group’s 12th Convergence Summit, which concluded Tuesday.

More satellites are being launched across the Arab world. At Arabsat, there are already six satellites and four more will be launched in the next three years, he added.

Ghassan Murat, commercial development director at Eutelsat, had the same opinion.

He said satellite providers will keep satellite TV channels even if the audience decreases, as they cannot afford to be absent from the scene.

There are some IPTV channels in the Arab world, but satellite TV channels will remain for many reasons, according to Mohammad Al Hajj, chairman and chief operating officer of Gulfsat.

“Satellite TV is faster, more cost-effective, its spread is massive and it provides direct interactivity with viewers,” he said during the panel discussion.

IPTV is not a successful business at present in the Arab world, panellists said, expecting a huge increase in the number of HD satellite TV channels in the region.

Several issues were discussed during the two-day summit, including mobile commerce, infrastructure, the Internet of Things and other ICT-related issues.