Small and Medium Enterprises Gain Opportunity to Enter Cable TV and IPTV Business

Ministry of Science and ICT Establishes Basic Plan for IPTV Licensing Review for Small and Medium Cable TV Companies

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The government has decided to promote IPTV licensing to allow comprehensive cable television operators to provide services using wired internet (IP) transmission methods.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 5th that it has established a 'Basic Plan for Licensing Review of Internet Multimedia Broadcasting Service Providers by Small and Medium Comprehensive Cable Television Operators' and will proceed with the licensing review process.

Currently, paid broadcasting businesses have transmission methods specified according to the type of business, making it difficult for paid broadcasters to flexibly respond to technological advancements. Comprehensive cable television operators use wired radio frequency (RF), while IPTV uses IP.

This restriction on technology choice has made it difficult to quickly introduce new services and provide high-quality services, causing issues such as duplication in transmission network construction and operation, and inefficient use of frequencies, highlighting the need for improvement.

To promote this policy, the Ministry of Science and ICT has revised the 'Procedures and Standards for Licensing, Reporting, Registration, and Approval of Internet Multimedia Broadcasting Businesses (Ministry of Science and ICT Notification)' to simplify application documents and relax review criteria when granting IPTV licenses to broadcasting operators.

The Ministry plans to announce the license application in July, accept applications until September, and form and operate a review committee by October or November to complete the IPTV licensing process. Eligibility for license application is limited to comprehensive cable television operators classified as small and medium enterprises under Article 6, Paragraph 1, proviso of the Internet Multimedia Broadcasting Business Act.

Through this policy promotion, the Ministry expects that comprehensive cable television operators will be able to promote IP-based interactive services and quality improvements, and that the industry will be revitalized due to new network investments and increased demand for IP set-top boxes. Additionally, it is anticipated that comprehensive cable television operators will be able to quickly provide various services through new or converged technologies, contributing to enhanced user welfare.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.