Growth continues in the IP set top box market as boxes will be used by pay-TV providers other than telco TV operators. New telco TV subscribers and replacement cycles are other growth drivers, according to a new report by Research and Markets entitled "Worldwide IP Set Top Boxes." This PowerPoint report provides five-year unit shipment, revenue, ASP, HD, HD DVR, and bill of material forecasts for IP set top boxes. Worldwide market share data for 2009 and 2010 is also included.

IP set top boxes are mostly used by telcos who offer video services over their fiber and DSL networks

The availability of wireless access to the Internet away from the home or office is not only becoming more pervasive, but consumers are actively seeking it out.  A 2009 study by Wakefield Research for the WiFi Alliance indicated that 79% of the 480 business-class passengers polled would take the availability of in-flight Internet into account when choosing an airline.  

International fibre optic cables are revolutionising Africa's Internet and broadband sector. Large parts of Africa gained access to international fibre bandwidth for the first time via submarine cables in 2009 and 2010. In other parts of the continent, additional fibre systems have brought competition to a previously monopolised market. More cables are expected to go online in 2011 and 2012.

Over the past year there has been significant growth in both the usage rates of in-flight broadband and number of planes deployed. With new providers now entering the market, growth is sure to continue in the coming year. Additionally, what has been a US-centric market began to see an expansion of borders with deployments in Europe growing over the past year and new activity in the Middle East. Research firm  In-Stat forecasts that in-flight Wi-Fi revenues will surpass the $1.5 billion mark in 2015.

As broadband subscriptions continue to grow in the EU27, Point Topic has today announced analysis on how many subscribers there will be and how many will take an IPTV service as well. According to the leading global broadband analyst firm, IPTV is set to treble by 2020.  “We’re projecting just over 160 million broadband subscribers in the EU27 by 2020 and just over one in three will take an IPTV subscription,” says Oliver Johnson, CEO at Point Topic.

The number of Asian TV households in the U.S. for the 2011-2012 TV season will grow 9.6 percent (over 400,000 homes) compared to last year, according to Nielsen. Hispanic or Latino TV households will increase 4.6 percent (over 600,000). The TV Universe Estimate for the 2011-2012 season marks the first integration of the 2010 Census counts and adjusted TV penetrations, introducing a number of shifts nationally and within local markets.

Global telecom services revenue reached US$1.9 trillion in 2010, representing a 4.5% increase, an improvement compared with 2009, when revenue growth had declined to 3.8%, according to a new report by Hot Telecom. Growth is expected to decline again starting in 2011 up to 2016 and telecom service revenue growth is therefore projected to slow to a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5% and revenue is expected to reach US$2.1 trillion in 2015, having surpassed the US$2.0 trillion mark in 2013.

Broadband growth in Latin America is expected to remain at about 16-18% across the region in both 2011 and 2012, stimulated by operator investments in networks in part aimed at satisfying consumer demand for bundled services, according to a new Research and Markets report. Broadband population penetration is expected to approach 9-12% by 2012/13. This remains far below Europe and some Asian markets, but strong growth from a relatively low base will see some parity with these more mature markets by the end of the decade.