Broadband usage is expected to nearly double by 2010, according to a new report by IDC. The consulting firm says that at the end of 2005 there were 205 million broadband users around the world. IDC says the increase comes from lower prices, more service provider and technology choice for users and the proliferation of new broadband devices and applications.
“Consumer demand for broadband remains strong, with three out of four global online households connecting to the Internet via broadband in 2010,” said Amy Harris Lind, program manager for consumer broadband markets, in a press release. “However, as competition intensifies and new subscriber growth begins to lag, providers will need to focus on bundling, tiering, and promoting applications that take advantage of broadband’s faster speeds to differentiate their broadband offerings, increase average revenue per user, and reduce customer churn.”
Broadband usage hit a significant milestone in 2005 as the number of users with high-speed Internet access connections surpassed the number of dial-up users, according to IDC.
Dial-up services top out at about 52Kbps, while broadband DSL and cable modem services can support data transfer speeds in megabits per second. DSL remains the leading choice of broadband service for users around the world, with 67% of high-speed Internet access users subscribing to DSL.
