One Third of the World's Households Have Broadband Access

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

The number of fixed broadband subscriber will approach 618.7 million by the end of this year, according to market research firm ABI Research.

North America has the highest penetration of fixed broadband, reaching 72.4 percent, followed by Western Europe with 72 percent. 44 percent of all broadband subscribers access the Internet with speeds of at least 10 Mbps.

Growth in the U.S. is still continuous as ABI estimates that DSL broadband subscription grew 1.2 percent in Q2 2012 over Q1 and added adding 4.3 million new subscribers. However, a much stronger growth opportunity is available in next-generation networks such as fiber optics, which is forecast to increase its market share of the overall broadband market from 12 percent in 2011 to 13.2 percent by the end of this year.

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Wolfgang Gruener
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • cats_Paw
    So what? If i want to play a game with someone in Asia or USA i still get a high ping and any cool games are bearly playable at a profesional level.
    Reply
  • dishayu
    Cats_PawSo what? If i want to play a game with someone in Asia or USA i still get a high ping and any cool games are bearly playable at a profesional level.Ping is primarily dependant upon distance. You can't reduce the physical distance between places, so pings can only be lowered so much. And also keep in mind that the light doesn't travel from the host to server in a straight line. The pings are fine.
    Reply
  • archange
    One Third of the World's Households Have Broadband Access

    Would be interesting to see what proportion of the human population have *any* internet access. I suspect that many aren't fortunate enough to have a household.
    Reply
  • DSpider
    archangeWould be interesting to see what proportion of the human population have *any* internet access. I suspect that many aren't fortunate enough to have a household.Just go to any McDonald's or mall, and boom! Instant internet access. Wireless access, that is.

    Even some public parks have them.
    Reply
  • mouse24
    DSpiderJust go to any McDonald's or mall, and boom! Instant internet access. Wireless access, that is.Even some public parks have them.
    Not everyone lives in first world countries.
    Reply
  • stoogie
    so basically my internet speed of 1.16mb/down 0.16mb/up is 98% worse than the world, well sorry but thats the best internet u can get at this location in TASMANIA, AUSTRALIAS INTERNET SUCKS
    Reply
  • puddleglum
    stoogieso basically my internet speed of 1.16mb/down 0.16mb/up is 98% worse than the world, well sorry but thats the best internet u can get at this location in TASMANIA, AUSTRALIAS INTERNET SUCKSWell, you got to keep those devils from chewing through your wiring or that's gonna happen
    Reply
  • jungleboogiemonster
    72.4% of America has broadband, yet living in a metropolitan area with a population of half a million that's an hour and a half from Philadelphia and even closer to Baltimore and it's still hard to get broadband here. Yet, I can go to one of the most rural areas in the state of Pennsylvania and get DSL. What's going on here?
    Reply
  • Thomas Creel
    I want fibre optic but prices need to go down.
    Reply
  • ojas
    Google will rescue us with Gigabit Internet. :D
    Reply