Broadband and IPTV penetration has continued to advance notably in Eastern European countries as well as South and eastern Asia, despite the economic downturn, according to the Broadband Forum (pdf), based on figures collated by London based consultancy Point Topic.
Global broadband grew by 16.6 million lines in the first quarter of 2009, and now stand at 429.2 million.
The broadband figures indicate 20 countries grew by 10 percent or more in the first quarter of this year compared to last quarter of 2008. The biggest growth was seen in Latin America, 6.57 percent quarter on quarter to 27.9 million lines, with South and East Asia also setting the pace, with 6 percent growth to reach 99 million lines.
China now has 88 million broadband access lines, up from 71 million in the first quarter of 2008. The U.S. had 83.9 million lines in Q109, up from 72.6 million in the corresponding period last year, followed by Japan (30.6 million) Germany (24.1 million), France (18 million), the U.K. (17.6 million), and South Korea (15.7 million).
DSL continues to be the most popular flavour of broadband access, with a 64.6 percent global share, although fiber grew by more than three million lines to grab a 12.4 percent share of the market, while wireless showed a healthy proportionate increase over one million lines to a total of 5.58 million, representing 1.3 percent. Cable’s share in the first quarter of the year was 20.6 percent.
IPTV subscribers approach 24 million, with expansion mainly in Europe and also North America. IPTV subscriptions in North America in the first quarter of the year were 4.4 million, showing quarterly growth of nearly 16 percent, but the pace of take-up in South and East Asia has slowed up only 10 percent to reach 4 million.
Pew’s Internet Project’s April 2009 survey found that U.S. home broadband penetration remained in a narrow range between 54% and 57%. Other results:
- 9% of internet users (7% of all adults) say that in the past 12 months they have cancelled or cut back online service.
- 22% of adults say they have cancelled or cut back cable TV service in the past 12 months.
- 22% of cell phone users (19% of all adults) report that in the past 12 months they have cancelled or cut back cell phone service.
The average monthly bill for broadband service in April 2009 was $39, an increase from $34.50 in May 2008. Overall, 55% of broadband users view a high-speed link at home as “very important”. Some 84% of home broadband users see their fast connection as “somewhat important” or “very important”.
The number of U.S. mobile Internet users has more than doubled since the iPhone was first introduced to 46 million at the end of 2008, up from 22.4 million in July 2006, according to Park Associates. They predict 60 million smartphones will be sold in the U.S. by 2013.
More than 270 million Americans subscribe to wireless phone services, compared with 3.5 million consumers in 1989, according to the Government Accountability Office. About 35 percent of U.S. households use wireless phones as their primary or only means of telephone service, the GAO said.
Mobile video and TV subscribers are expected to jump to 534 million by 2014, a five-fold increase from 2008, says a report released Thursday by market researcher Pyramid Research.
Pyramid estimates that revenue from mobile video services will reach $16 billion by 2014. However, much of the demand will come from Europe and Asia/Pacific. Asia/Pacific is expected to drive a 37 percent growth in total mobile subscriptions from 2009 to 2014.
