Benelux Market Report: Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg By Robert Briel The digitisation of cable networks finally began in The Netherlands in late 2006/early 2007. Although UPC is using the highly cabled country as a testbed for digital television in Europe, other Dutch operators have adopted a different strategy for their own digital deployments. Consolidation in Flemish-speaking Belgium is meanwhile easing the path to digitisation, but French Wallonia is facing problems. The Netherlands has also become the first country in Europe to switch off its analogue terrestrial signals, with neighbouring Luxembourg not far behind. Add to this the arrival of IPTV services from incumbent telcos seeing triple play eat away at their traditional revenue streams, and the once tranquil Benelux market has become a hotbed of activity. The Benelux Market Report analyses the development of digital television across the region over cable, satellite, IPTV and mobile. It charts the pay-TV services in a market often content with basic cable and the impact of HDTV and on demand capability. Author Robert Briel is a well-known international media journalist, contributing to both Dutch and international trade publications. Robert was for many years editor-in-chief and creative director of Veronica TV Magazine, Holland's biggest selling weekly. He is also a former head of international press & PR at the UPC media group, holding responsibility for the international and external contacts for the various thematic channels from UPC across Europe. 10,385 words PDF Only Published May 2007 Executive Summary List of Contents About the Author
