China Netcom, the country’s second largest fixed line operator, plans to use broadband television to boost its high speed internet subscriber base and compensate for slowing growth in its core business. Although internet protocol television (IPTV) is still banned in most parts of China, Netcom last year launched a trial in the northern Heilongjiang province, which has signed up 48,000 subscribers. Like many fixed line operators, such as Hong Kong’s PCCW in which Netcom has a 20 per cent stake, the Chinese operator has been promoting its broadband business as a source of growth in what is an otherwise maturing industry. Netcom hopes that by improving speed and content, it could further boost the number of broadband users, which grew 35.1 per cent to 11.48 million in 2005, representing 13 per cent of the company’s fixed line customers.
