SINGAPORE – ?All fixed broadband platforms – DSL, cable, and optical fiber – added significant numbers of subscribers during 2011, according to a new report from ABI Research. Global revenues for fixed broadband also showed strong growth.
In some countries with a high penetration of DSL broadband service, the DSL subscriber base declined slightly but was offset by growth in FTTH subscriptions. “Fiber broadband adoption has grown rapidly over the past years,†says Khin Sandi Lynn, research analyst, broadband. “Consumers are becoming increasingly reliant on a number of data-intensive services such as high-definition online video services, IPTV, and online gaming.â€
Broadband operators are upgrading their existing networks to meet rising bandwidth demand, with some DSL operators going all the way to fiber to the home or upgrading copper lines to offer higher-speed services such as VDSL. Nearly 5 percent of DSL broadband customers worldwide had access to VDSL service in 2011.
At the same time, cable operators racing to compete with DSL and fiber operators are aggressively upgrading their networks to DOCSIS 3.0. Germany’s Kabel Deutschland offers 100 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 service for as little as 19.9 euros per month, and North American cable operators, such as Comcast and Time Warner, are also rolling out DOCSIS 3.0 to compete against encroaching FTTH operators.
ABI forecasts that global fixed broadband revenue will generate $191 billion in 2012 and reach $217 billion in 2016.
