There is a "significant" addressable market for coaxial cable-based home networking in Europe, according to a new study commissioned by the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA).

The study, which was conducted by IMS Research, examined the existing coaxial infrastructure in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Poland.  Results from the UK and France are described as being very similar, with 56% and 55% respectively stating that they have two or more coaxial outlets, and over a quarter of respondents in both countries reporting three or more.  

In Poland, 71% of respondents stated that they have two or more coaxial outlets and 36% reported having three or more.  The Netherlands recorded the lowest number of coaxial outlets per household, with 45% having two or more and 15% having three or more.

The four countries were chosen because of their competitive pay-TV environments, increasing penetration of HDTVs and DVRs, number of TVs per household, and the high daily TV viewing hours, according to MoCA.

 “We commissioned this survey at the request of many pay-TV operators,” said Charles Cerino, President of MoCA.  “The high percentage of homes having two or more coaxial outlets in these countries means that there is a significant addressable market opportunity for service providers wanting to gain a competitive edge via coax-based home networking.”

It was also noted that there was a "significant correlation" between the number of TVs, STBs and DVRs in a home and the number of coaxial outlets, with the report concluding that coaxial outlets are typically added as the number of TVs being watched in the homes increases. MoCA adds that it is possible that providing consumers with a strong proposition for adding TVs in more rooms would motivate them to add more coaxial outlets.