Global Fixed Broadband hits 690 million as IPTV Breaks 100 million Barrier

London, UK, July 3, 2014--At the end of March 2014, there were 690.1m fixed broadband lines worldwide according to Point Topic. Growth for the quarter stood at 1.9% which is the highest it has been for 12 months and a welcome increase on the previous quarter’s modest growth of 0.4%. We can expect to see continued growth in 2014 and 2015, with African and Middle Eastern countries featuring prominently.

A key milestone was passed this quarter with end-to-end copper connections accounting for less than 50% of the global fixed broadband market for the first time.

Figure 1: Global broadband subscriber numbers and growth to Q1 2014. Source – Point Topic

Regional broadband growth and population penetration

The African market grew faster than any other region with growth of just over 5%. Strong growth is predicted for the coming quarters although doubts remain about the affordability of fixed broadband services and the reach of infrastructure in the region. Growth in other regions in the quarter was solid if unspectacular.

 Figure 2: Regional growth and population penetration in Q1 2014. Source – Point Topic

Broadband technology trends

End-to-end copper continues to be the most dominant fixed broadband technology although the total subscriber numbers for this technology continue to fall. As mentioned at the top of this report, Q1 2014 is the first quarter in which the market share for copper connections has dipped below 50%, with fibre-based technologies picking up most of the slack.

Figure 3: Fixed broadband subscribers by technology Q1 2014. Source – Point Topic

See more at: http://point-topic.com/free-analysis/global-broadband-subscriber-numbers-q1-2014/#sthash.py5Ih4o3.dpuf