A desire for high-speed internet access and the proliferation of high-value voice, video and data packages will ensure that the global broadband subscriber base continues to grow by seven per cent annually over the next six years.
That is according to ABI Research, which suggested that there will be 520 million broadband subcribers around the world by 2014.
It warned, however, that mature markets, which have reached near-saturation in the broadband market, will begin to see noticeable declines in DSL take-up rates, as consumers start switching to faster fibre connections.
Serene Fong, ABI Research industry analyst, commented: "Fixed-line DSL technology will continue to remain the premier broadband platform, driving uptake globally especially in developing nations.
"This is because operators are able to piggyback on existing telecommunications infrastructure to keep their costs stable and price it more affordably to the widest subscriber pool," she added.
Earlier this month, the British Computer Society suggested that fibre-optic broadband - and the converged communications advancements that it will deliver - could help socially excluded individuals to take up a more active role in their communities.
© Adfero Ltd
