World Surges Ahead in Broadband

Figures released ahead of the upcoming World Broadband Forum Worldindicate that as the world moves steadily toward the digital future, some areas move faster.

Globally, broadband growth has been steady with 558M total customers, up 29 million in the first six months of 2011. But growth is uneven. Asia, especially China, accounts for “55.5 percent of the total net additions in the year to end June 2011.” But, surprisingly, “In terms of percentage growth during the year, Brazil and Russia in fact outpaced the top 10 countries, with increases of over 20 percent for the 12 months to June 2011.”

One area which seems to have bypassed the U.S. is the steady growth of Internet Protocol television (IPTV). While many Americans have found workarounds to stream television from the Internet to their TVs, other countries have dedicated IPTV.

“Nine percent of the world's broadband homes now subscribe to an IPTV service, an increase from 7.8% in June last year. Europe is still the leading IPTV region with strong growth in France, Romania, Russia and Belarus.” France, in particular, seems to have surged, “with 11.05 million subscribers, representing over 50 percent of French broadband lines.”

Much innovation depends on improvements to wirelines, and here Europe is taking a lead. EU Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes is “looking for ways to make copper-based telecommunications networks less attractive to operators in a bid to spur investment in fiber.” Since the privatization of telecoms in Europe, “the pace of investment in new, faster, fiber networks has been too slow for the Commission. It s now looking for ways to make copper lines less attractive.”

2011 World Broadband Forum

2011 World Broadband news highlights (Oct., 2011)

EU wants to make copper less attractive (2011 World Broadband Forum)