According to MRG, the shift from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 encoding and headend purchases is expected to begin in volume in the 2007 to 2008, meaning prolonged life for MPEG2 in IP TV systems. Moreover, the rise of IPTV content subscribers will drive an equally rapid installed based of IPTV video headends. Broadband service providers in the U.S., Asia, and Europe have announced or plan to announce deployments of IPTV-based content services, opening up opportunities for all video headend suppliers. One key forecast is that IPTV subscriber revenue will grow from about $400 million in 2004 to over $6 billion in 2008, meaning a substantial investment in content and infrastructure is fast approaching. Whether for SBC, Verizon, or BellSouth in the U.S., China Telecom in Asia, or France Telecom or Telefonica in Europe, IPTV video headend suppliers must help service providers compete in increasingly competitive markets. "IPTV vendors, in addition to offering unique and innovative services, have to use new technologies to achieve competitive advantages,' stated Gary Schultz, MRG principal analyst. "Yet the end-to-end value chain needs to remain price-sensitive to new adopters."
The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...