|
Broadband Subscribers Surge Past 150 Million |
|
|
|
|
Written by IMS Research
|
|
02 Mar 2005 |
IMS Research has revealed that the number of broadband subscribers has
just passed 150 million worldwide.? According to the company’s
latest broadband database update, this represented an increase of 51
million since the beginning of 2004. This tremendous rate of growth
shows no signs of slowing, and IMS Research is forecasting that the
number of broadband subscribers will surpass 400 million during 2009.
DSL continues to put distance between itself and cable as the most
popular broadband technology, with total DSL subscribers passing the
100 million mark in early 2005. “ADSL will remain the dominant
broadband technology, especially as higher-speed variants such as
ADSL2+ become more widely deployed,” states Melissa Yocom, broadband
analyst with IMS Research. “However, we expect to see strong growth for
VDSL, especially when used in conjunction with extended fibre
deployments for TV over IP applications. These higher speed DSL options
are going to be critical if the telcos are serious about offering a
true triple play of voice, data and video that can offer sufficient
simultaneous video streams to go head-to-head with the cable operators.”
The uptake of cable broadband is also proceeding at a rapid pace, with
much upside potential in markets such as Germany, where initial
roll-out has been slow. By the end of 2009, IMS Research is forecasting
that there will 83 million cable broadband subscribers worldwide.
However, the gap between cable and DSL subscriber levels is set to
widen, due to the fact that, while there are over 1 billion telephone
subscriber lines in the world, most of which could be DSL enabled,
there are only around 530 million homes worldwide that are passed by
cable.
“Although most of the attention for future broadband development is
focussed on the DSL and cable sectors, we should not forget the niche
broadband technologies,” comments Yocom. “Many of the telcos are
considering fibre-to-the-premises for green field and selected builds,
and emerging technologies such as Broadband Powerline (BPL), WiMAX, and
even satellite, offer potential to extend the reach of broadband into
rural areas.”
Asia still leads the way in terms of broadband installations, currently
accounting for around 43% of subscribers worldwide. However, recent
price reductions have led to strong subscriber growth in Europe, and
the region has just passed the Americas as the next largest broadband
market.
Further detailed information on broadband uptake and equipment
shipments and revenues by technology type are given by country in IMS
Research’s online Broadband Access Database. This subscription service
also gives five-year growth forecasts for all of these sectors, and
provides commentary on recent market changes.
|
