A new global survey of cable and broadband operators findsthat most are fairly optimistic about the potential impact of over-the-topservices, with 70% saying the potential benefits outweigh the risks. The results were part of a survey of operators in NorthAmerica, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa conducted by IncognitoSoftware, a provider of broadband software provisioning and service activationsolutions.
The study, "The Growth of OTT Content: Opportunities andChallenges for Service Providers," also found that nearly 82% ofrespondents have already upgraded their network infrastructure to cope withincreased subscriber bandwidth usage and that 75% of the providers who reporteda growth in bandwidth consumption attributed the increased demand to streamingvideo sites.
In terms of managing OTT consumption, the survey found thatthe most popular approach was fair usage policies (40%), followed bybandwidth caps (34 percent), and proprietary OTT services (22%), thecompany reports.
Nearly half of the providers in North America utilizebandwidth caps as their primary means of managing OTT, the survey found. Fairusage and service add-ons are the next most common approaches (33%).
"The widespread growth and popularity of OTT content acrossmultiple devices is forcing cable operators to rethink their business modelsand how best to add value to their subscribers - and the survey results showthat there is no single answer when looking at operators of different sizes andacross multiple geographies," said Stephane Bourque, president and CEO ofIncognito Software. "Whether operators take a positive or negative view of OTTcontent, one thing is constant: their network usage is going to increase."
