By Telecom
Lead Team: Global fixed broadband revenue is expected to generate $191 billion
and reaching $217 billion in 2016.

 

Fiber
broadband adoption has grown rapidly over the past years, as consumers are
becoming increasingly reliant on a number of data-intensive services such as
high-definition online video services, IPTV, and online gaming,” said Khin
Sandi Lynn, research analyst, broadband, ABI Research.

 

Globally,
broadband operators are upgrading existing networks to meet rising bandwidth
demand with some DSL operators going so far as to completely replace existing
copper lines with pure optical fiber to offer fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service,
or upgrading copper lines to offer higher-speed services such as VDSL.

 

The research
study said that nearly 5 percent of DSL broadband customers worldwide had
access to VDSL service in 2011.

 

Strong growth
in both subscription and service revenue propelled the global fixed broadband market
during 2011.

 

The study said
that significant subscriber additions last year were made by all fixed
platforms: DSL, cable, and optical fiber. In some countries with a high
penetration of DSL broadband service, the DSL subscriber base declined slightly,
but it was offset by the growth in optical fiber subscriptions.

 

In another
study, Sandvine, a traffic analysis firm, recently projected that 95
percent of tablets will rely primarily on fixed broadband networks.
Tablets are just part of an expected surge in number of media enabled mobile
devices which also include Blu-ray players; Internet connected TVs and
stand-alone STBs. 

 

The number of
broadband lines worldwide grew by 17.4 million in the third quarter of 2011 to
a total 581.3 million, according to latest figures from Point Topic for the
Broadband Forum.

 

This is the
highest quarterly additions since early 2009 and represents annual growth of
12.9 percent in the total base. DSL remained the dominant access technology
with 61.5 percent of all lines, after adding more subscribers than any other
technology in Q3.

 

The research
study also added that cable operators are aggressively upgrading networks to
DOCSIS 3.0 simultaneously. Adoption of DOCSIS 3.0 service also continues to
grow as cable operators race to compete with DSL and fiber operators.

 

For instance,
Germany’s Kabel Deutschland offers super-fast 100 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 service as
low as EUR 19.9 per month.

 

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.

 

By
Danish Khan
[email protected]