By Telecom Lead Team: Broadband
subscription in India has touched 13.30 million at the end of December 2011
from 10.92 million in December 2010, adding 2.38 million in 12 months.
Considering the overall telephone user base that
has gone up to 926.53 million in 2011 from 787.28 million in 2010, adding
139.25 million new users in the last year, the broadband growth brings shame to
telecom stake holders.
The average 2 lakh users being (to India’s
population of more than 1 billion) added every month calls for major attention
from the telecom minister Kapil Sibal and team.
Today, Internet users in China represent
almost 25 percent of the world’s total Internet users and 37 percent of the
developing countries’ Internet users.
Analysts say the yet to be tested 4G LTE
from Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries’ arm has the potential to harm
the broadband segment for the time being.
Indian customers are waiting for
better speed and quality of services along with cost effective package. 4G can
address new demands of broadband users. Operators such as Airtel, Aircel and
others are also gearing up to unveil 4G LTE.
Moreover, investment in fixed broadband network has faced slowdown due to uncertain policies and anticipation of new technologies.
Younger people tend to be more online than
older people, in both developed and developing countries. In developing
countries, 30 percent of those under the age of 25 use the Internet, compared
to 23 percent of those 25 years and older. At the same time, 70 percent of the
under 25-yearolds (a total of 1.9 billion) are not online. India has a huge
potential to be on top of the broadband world. Can our operators hear this?
Due to the poor offtake of broadband, India
is not in the top 25 broadband market list prepared by ITU.
Top 25 fixed broadband markets based on subscribers in 2011
ITU has recently released top 25 fixed
broadband markets based on subscribers in early 2011. India, world’s second
largest mobile market, does not have a place in the top list.
Netherlands with 38.1 (Active mobile
broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants) is on top of the ranking.
Switzerland 37.9 and Denmark 37.7 are in the second and third positions. Most
of the developed economies are part of the list.
ITU said over the last five years,
developing countries have increased their share of the world’s total number of
Internet users from 44 percent in 2006, to 62 percent in 2011.
Top 10 telecom markets based on broadband subscribers in the
world
According to Broadband Forum, Asia
continues to dominate with over 10.3 million more subscriber lines added in Q3
2011, higher than in Q2 and the same quarter in 2010. With over 246 million
lines in total, Asia now has 42.34 percent of the total market share in
broadband.
Global broadband subscribers grow 13% to 581 million in Q3 2011
The figures point to the growing importance
of fiber as FTTH and hybrid FTTx deployments increase. Overall broadband growth
during the quarter, according to figures prepared for the Broadband Forum by Point Topic, is estimated at 17.4 million lines,
bringing the global total to 581.3 million, a quarterly increase of 3.08
percent, and an annual growth rate of 12.89 percent.
