"Three-network convergence fever" restarts radio and television enterprises into the broadband market

This is not the first time that triple play has been taken seriously. In the 2009 government work report, the triple play was first written. In January 2010, the State Council held an executive meeting and decided to accelerate the integration of the three networks and set a clear timetable. However, in the following years, the pace of advancement of triple play has been somewhat slow, even cooling.

However, this situation was completely changed at the beginning of this year. Before the two sessions were held, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued intensive “passes”, and many radio and television companies were allowed to enter the broadband access market.

However, the industry will remain cautious as to how and with what effect triple play will achieve.


Multi-location broadcasting broadband was released

In early 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the “Triple Play” business license application of Guizhou Radio and TV Network Company, and agreed that Guizhou Radio and TV Group should carry out cable television network-based Internet access services, Internet data transmission value-added services, and domestic IP telephony services.

The “IT Times” reporter found that Guizhou Radio and TV is just one of the “release” lists of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This list is actually very long, including Chongqing Cable, Hubei Broadcasting, Northern Broadcasting, and Shaanxi Networks.

Northern Radio and TV is the Liaoning Broadcasting and Television Bureau. The number of wired subscribers in the urban area of ​​Northern Radio and Television is approximately 6.5 million, plus users of counties, townships, and corporate networks. The number of users is approximately 10 million, and most of them have completed two-way transformation. In the approval of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, they received the Internet, Internet data value-added, and IP telephony qualifications. An insider of Northern Broadcasting and Television said to reporters that the company has set up an internal Internet department and will vigorously develop broadband services this year. At the same time, Northern Broadcasting also applied for membership and became the vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Communications Enterprise Association and the Liaoning Provincial Internet Association. In the association, it is in the same position as the three major telecom operators and is equivalent to the fourth largest operator.

In fact, some broadcasting and TV enterprises have also been developing broadband services before, but because they have not obtained qualifications, they basically adopt the agency cooperation method, and the scale of broadband users is generally small. With the approval of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, these companies can launch their own branded broadband services and completely control themselves.

2015 broadband competition will be more intense

Wu Chunyong, chief editor of the converged network, predicts that the three networks will have blowouts this year. Because, 2015 is the key time node.

The State Council Executive Meeting to Accelerate the Advancement of Tri-Network Convergence, held in 2010, proposed a phased goal: 2010-2012: Focusing on the two-way entry of radio and television and telecommunication services, exploring the formation of a policy system that guarantees the orderly implementation of triple-play convergence standards. Institutional mechanisms; 2013-2015: Summarize and promote pilot experiences, fully realize the development of triple play, popularize and apply converged services, basically form a moderately competitive network industry structure, and basically establish a clear and coordinated system mechanism and responsibilities for adapting to triple play. , decision-making science, management and efficient new regulatory system.

2015 is the last year on this timetable. So at the beginning of this year, the parties' actions in the triple play are more frequent than in the previous two years.

Streaming media CEO Zhang Yanxiang told the IT Times reporter: “Approving is only a matter of time. The approval of broadband network access for broadcasting and TV enterprises has become a recent trend. With the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology opening its arms to the broadcast and television companies, virtual operators have also entered large numbers. The resources held by the three networks are becoming more and more consistent.” Zhang Yanxiang believes that although the competition for interests and power will continue to exist, after the policy restrictions are liberalized, the competition for users will become increasingly fierce. Whose charges, services, and experiences Well, whoever will win.

Looking for a new blue ocean

For the telecommunication business, the broadcasting and TV companies will naturally be very excited, but they are also “picking and picking”.

An insider of Northern Radio and Television stated that although they also got IP telephony qualifications this time, after a comprehensive assessment, they believe that the voice service does not have a high degree of growth, so the focus is on broadband.

However, in the view of analysts, the broadband business has already become the Red Sea, so the triple play needs to explore new business forms and create a blue ocean market. “Expanding the new ecological chain and stimulating new consumption are the top issues, because currently, the traditional business market has become saturated,” said Wu Chunyong.

What is a new business form? For Wu Chunyong, OTT set-top boxes and OTT smart TVs fall into this category. However, at present, OTT TVs no longer have promotional value. First, the regulatory authorities do not recognize cross-border integration. Second, the main beneficiaries are Internet companies. Telecom operators and broadcasters have not received a share.

Wu Chunyong believes that the direction in which new businesses can be expanded is clothing, food, housing, education, medical care, and pensions. From the previous top-down core business to the bottom-up consumer-driven shift.

Take pensions, according to statistics released by the Commission on Ageing, the country’s elderly people over the age of 60 have reached about 160 million. As we all know, the elderly are the main viewers of home television. If medical emergency functions are embedded in smart TVs, the elderly can use TV to send a distress signal to the hospital. When the children are at work, they can always know the status of the elderly at home.

Simply estimate that if the children are willing to pay for such products, they will be charged 10 yuan per month, based on 100 million elderly people. Then, the annual market revenue is 12 billion.

The market is visible, but both telecom operators and radio and television companies rarely test the water. The reason is that telecom operators have spent a lot of energy on the mobile Internet, and the broadcasting and TV enterprises are in an embarrassing situation. The cable TV operators in various places are fragmented, and their TV stations are mainly based on production content, and their business innovation capabilities are relatively poor. , so the source of business income is relatively single.

New regulatory system to be established

The tri-network integration has not progressed smoothly in these years. The key is that the mechanisms and regulatory systems that are suitable for triple play have not been established. There is a sectoral game that fails to form a consensus and division of labor.

For a long time, China's telecommunications network and radio and television network were separately supervised by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (former Ministry of Information Industry) and the General Administration of Radio, Film and Television. In the previous years when the state conducted major reforms, the industry once said that the former Ministry of Information Industry and the SARFT had merged, which was conducive to the advancement of the triple play, but it failed to materialize.

At the two sessions of the year, deputies from the communications industry proposed that the absence of the "Telecom Law" is not conducive to the advancement of triple play, and hopes to introduce it as soon as possible. In the "Telecom Law", it is necessary to clarify: the establishment of supervision for integration of the three networks. The agencies shall issue licenses for fixed communications, mobile communications, and Internet access to qualified broadcasters and television companies, and telecommunications and Internet companies that have obtained audiovisual licenses may provide television services through telecommunications networks and the Internet.