Canada’s digital and satellite television subscriber growth was stunted somewhat in the first quarter of 2003, according to research by Decima Publishing in Ottawa.

According to the study, in the first quarter of 2003, the number of new subscribers to digital television grew by approximately 102,000 households to 3.5 million. This is an increase of 3%, following a 5% jump the quarter prior (169,000 new subscribers) and a 6% increase for the first quarter of 2002.

Meanwhile, the satellite television subscription growth rate was even lower, just 1% for the quarter (30,000-plus new subscribers). The subscription rate rose 7% (just over 127,000) in the same quarter a year ago.

‘Satellite has largely penetrated the rural, underserved markets, and now most of their new customers are coming from urban centres and they need to be more aggressive targeting customers in the cities,’ says Mario Mota, publisher and editor-in-chief of Decima Publishing.

Mota says cable operators are being more aggressive in their attempts to switch analog cable users over to digital, and he expects the growth of subscribers to continue at a 3% to 5% quarterly pace for the next year or so.