Interactive Broadband Systems and their Market Potential in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic a market research was carried out in the year 1997, using a questionnaire campaign, concentrated on the mapping of conditions for the introduction of interactive broadband systems, which would provide potential users, together with voice services, the access to Internet, to services on demand, e.g. VoD, AoD, to electronic shopping, etc. The evaluation included technical furnishings of households and technical readiness of users, the interest in information and, based on analysis of the economical situation in the Czech Republic, also the willingness and ability to pay for services offered. It was concluded that the subscribers of cable television networks represent a prospective group. possibilities), in other words such one possibility as the remaining 21% of respondents not connected to the cable television network. Ad b) Approximately one half of all respondents have the possibility to watch the Teletext, and approximately one third of all respondents really observe it. From the answers of respondents it further follows, that approximately 60% of households do have a videorecorder (65% according the data of the Czech Statistical Office) and only about 3% of respondents often watch their own records, made by means of a videorecorder. Ad c) Almost 90% of respondents have a telephone station connected to the fixed telephone network (PSTN) in their households and in 35% of households at least one of the family members has a mobile telephone. At approximately 50% of households the telephone invoice varies in the range from 200 to 500 CZK (6.5 up to 16.5 USD), at 20% of the households the telephone invoice varies in the range from 500 to 1000 CZK (16.5 up to 33.4 USD) and only 6% of households have their invoice higher than 1000 CZK (33.4 USD). The respondents not connected to the cable television network are more represented in the category with low telephone invoice. Ad d) 35% of respondents households own a personal computer (PC). In those households, which have their TV set not connected to the cable television network, the PC owners count up to 42% of respondents, and their computers are also better equipped. From this it is possible to come to a conclusion, that they have higher activity at PC taking it a substitution for entertainment with respect to limited offer of