The latest report prepared for the Broadband Forum by research firm Point Topic, reveals that the total number of broadband subscribers globally has reached a whopping 400 million. The report also specifies that the tremendous growth in subscribers is due to technological developments and increased geographical spread. 

If compared, back in the year 1998, there were only 57,200 broadband subscribers globally, in the following 12 months; they increased nearly six fold reaching up to 280,890 in 1999. The customers prefer fast speed broadband connection the most, and reportedly there has been 600,000% increase in the number of subscribers in the past ten years, with a 300% increase in the last five years alone, to now reach 400mn. 

Access technologies during the same period evolved to include fibre, which in 2002 had 18,000 subscribers. As of now it accounts for 45 million broadband connections around the world. Another contribution to the steady growth of broadband subscriptions, making broadband an increasingly integrated part of daily lives was the emerging of triple-play services. 

Oliver Johnson, Senior Analyst with Point Topic said, “When Point Topic started researching broadband in 1998 it was still mostly in the technical trial stage.”

He further added, “Getting to 400 million subscribers in the ten years since then, has been one of the fastest rollouts of a major new technology the world has ever seen. Now we’re in the early days of a new era, which is going to be much more about quality than quantity.” 

“The emphasis is now going to shift to providing high bandwidth, high quality broadband, that can deliver multiple, steady, pin-sharp images for applications,” said Johnson.