IPTV is 'on the cusp' of mass adoption by consumers, with 2007 likely to provide proof points with major carriers in both the US and Europe, according to Geoff Roman, chief strategy officer for Motorola's Connected Home Business.
However, adoption in many parts of Asia could be hampered by regulatory issues. 'Asia has a more complex regulatory structure,' Roman said. 'You need some regulatory clarity that hasn't happened yet.'
He pointed to China and Japan as example of countries that still have regulatory issues.
Motorola has been involved in IPTV rollouts with both Verizon and AT&T in the US. It has also been expanding its IPTV technology portfolio through recent acquisitions, including IPTV set-top box provider Kreatel, which is a supplier to Telefonica in Europe, and content server vendor Broadbus.
Last month, Motorola announced that it was acquiring DSL gateway vendor Netopia, although the deal will not be closed until next year, according to Roman, who said that further acquisitions would be considered.
Roman said that another key area for Motorola was delivering video across a range of devices, part of its so-called 'seamless mobility' strategy. He said that while the capability to move content was being built into the devices, there still needs to be work done in terms of software and by the carriers themselves.
'The most complicated part is the relationship between the carriers - they have to allow for this to happen,' Roman said.