Worldwide Broadband Subscription to Reach One Billion in 2013: Report

Broadband is penetrating markets all around the world just the way mobile phones are. According to a latest research report from analyst firm In-Stat, the number of broadband subscribers worldwide will increase from 578 million at the end of 2009 to one billion by 2013.

 

 Last year, an average of 8.8 million new consumers signed up for broadband service each month around the world, says the report. As of December 2009, there were 578 million worldwide broadband subscribers, an increase of 99 million over the year-end 2008 subscriber total.

More than 89 percent broadband connections worldwide are using access technologies like DSL and mobile wireless.  Mobile wireless broadband is currently the second-largest access technology worldwide (behind DSL), with 18 percent of total subscribers.

Over the next few years, the number of households with multiple broadband connections will increase significantly, says In-Stat (News - Alert). These households will commonly have a wired broadband access technology, like DSL or cable modem service, along with a mobile wireless broadband connection.

“The growing popularity of bandwidth-intensive applications, such as watching online video, using IP-based telephony services, and downloading music files, are spurring global demand for broadband Internet connections,” said Mike Paxton, analyst at In-Stat.

Over the coming years, the number of households with multiple broadband connections is expected to increase significantly, with these households expected to have a wired broadband access technology such as DSL or cable, along with a mobile wireless broadband connection.

 

Last week, Informa (News - Alert) Telecoms and Media also predicted similar growth in broadband subscription, saying booming data services growth would drive global mobile service revenues to top $1 trillion in 2013.

 

Advancing technology coupled with mobile content strategies is driving growth in broadband connections worldwide. Among them mobile broadband service is playing a larger role.