Telecom and cable operators are making 350 live gigabit deployments globally, according to Gigabit Monitor – revealed by Viavi Solutions.

There are 164 gigabit deployments announced or under construction, across wireline and wireless technologies including GPON, DOCSIS 3.1, G.fast, LTE-A, 5G and 802.11ac.

Gigabit internet promises 159 times faster speed than the global average of 6.3 Mbps, which would enable consumers to download an HD movie in less than five seconds.

Viavi Solutions reveals that North America has the largest share of announced gigabit deployments, with 61 percent. Europe is second with 24 percent. Asia, Australasia, Middle East, Africa and South America share the remaining 15 percent of gigabit deployments.

Over 70 percent of the live gigabit deployments tracked has been launched since the start of 2015, said Viavi Solutions.

85 percent of gigabit deployments are based on optical fiber connectivity. 11 percent are based on Hybrid-fiber coax (HFC), a broadband technology that combines optical fiber and coaxial cable, commonly employed by cable providers.

Nearly 3 percent of known gigabit deployments are based on LTE-A, a modified version of LTE which is gigabit-capable.

37 wireless carriers have announced plans for 5G networks.  Five of them plan to have 5G networks built as early as 2017.

The Gigabit Monitor, a web-based tool, showcases gigabit internet services.

Sameh Yamany, chief technology officer of Viavi Solutions, said: “There are more than 20 billion connected devices and that number is continually increasing. With a 100-fold increase in speed, service providers will need to ensure that their ecosystems are ready for the massive network evolution required to deliver the customer experience they envision.”