At the end of 2006, there were approximately 251 million broadband households worldwide, according to a new report from eMarketer.
The online market research firm says that the US and China are the two largest broadband markets in the world, at 54.6 and 46.6 million broadband households respectively.
The report says that countries such as South Korea, Japan and, to a lesser extent, the US, are entering a new phase of broadband development with the market moving from high-speed internet to very-high-speed-internet.
EMarketer forecasts that by 2011, the number of broadband households in the US will total 89.9 million, a figure representing 69.3% of all US households.
It adds that at the same time there will also be 90.5 million broadband households in China, accounting for 23% of all Chinese households.
| Broadband Households And Penetration In Select Countries Worldwide, 2006 (Millions And % Of Total Households) |
| |
Broadband Households |
% Of Total Households |
| US |
54.6 |
45.9% |
| China |
46.6 |
12.6% |
| Japan |
23.7 |
52.3% |
| South Korea |
12.7 |
78.8% |
| UK |
12 |
47.1% |
| Germany |
11.8 |
30.8% |
| France |
11.2 |
42.3% |
| Italy |
7.9 |
35.4% |
| Canada |
7.4 |
58.0% |
| Spain |
5.5 |
41.7% |
| Brazil |
4.9 |
10.6% |
| Australia |
3.5 |
45.4% |
| Mexico |
3.0 |
12.3% |
| India |
2.3 |
1.2% |
| Argentina |
1.4 |
13.1% |
| Rest Of World |
42.7 |
3.0% |
| Worldwide |
251.2 |
10.5% |
| Note: eMarketer defines broadband as an internet connection of 200 kbps in at least one direction; includes ADSL, cable, satellite, fixed wireless, fibre, powerline, WIMAX and emerging broadband technologies accessed at home. |
| Source: eMarketer |
In other research, eMarketer said that by 2011, Britain’s broadband penetration will increase to nearly 76.8%, or 20 million households (see Britain Becoming Major Online Economy).
Meanwhile, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers published research last week which showed that UK internet advertising expenditure grew 41% in 2006, breaking the £2 billion barrier (see UK Internet Advertising Spend Grows 41%).
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