Broadband Subscribers Set To Hit 250 Million

Almost 250 million people worldwide will subscribe to broadband internet access by 2007, says a new report from eMarketer.

In early 2004, high-speed broadband internet access reached a landmark when subscriber figures hit 100 million. When compared to 1996, when subscribers totalled 100,000, it is clear to see broadband has hit the mainstream, says the Broadband Worldwide 2004: Subscriber Update report.

It is expected that broadband’s popularity and strong growth will continue through until the end of 2010 and with consumers using it to watch videos, play music and shop online.

eMarketer goes so far as to predict that future anthropologists will look back on the time between 2005 – 2010 and call it the ‘Broadband Age’. From 2010 onwards, an era of ‘Bandwidth On Demand’ is expected, when ‘bandwidth will flow like water from a tap’, according to eMarketer.

United Kingdom

After lagging behind the rest of Europe in 2001 and 2002, the UK has finally caught up and is now one of the fastest growing broadband markets in the world.

BT now provides most of Britain with access to DSL and cable internet access has been helped along with some competition from cable operators NTL and Telewest.

The UK Government has made the widespread availability of broadband a priority and has taken a leaf out of leading broadband countries such as South Korea and Canada to ensure that the right pieces are being put in place, according to the report.

eMarketer believes that the UK will grow to become the largest broadband market in Europe by 2007, with 7.2 million DSL and 3.9 million cable internet households.

eMarketer: www.emarketer.com

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