Predicted 500 million global broadband users by 2010

It is predicted that, within the next three to five years, using a mobile handset to check e-mail, upload holiday photographs, blog or engage in multi-player games, with or without a laptop computer attached, will become second nature.

Broadband service revenues will surpass $150bn in 2011, with Europe, Asia Pacific and North America leading the market.

It is considered that service providers cannot afford to stand still with current access technologies. Fibre-to-the-home will eventually provide the ultimate broadband experience for many users, including high definition TV and lightning-fast interactive web-based services.

This represents a 13% CAGR (2007-2011). Broadband ARPUs will remain stable on a worldwide level.

The forecast covers 41 countries across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, North America, Central and Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Northern Africa.

Analysts at Strategy Analytics suggest that Wi-Fi is emerging as a mass market phenomenon. One in five broadband users in the United States and Europe is hooked up to a wireless network in their home. In the UK, penetration rates are at 6.1% and at 5.1% in Germany.

With respect to broadband users, the survey found that 20% of broadband subscribers across the US and Europe now use Wi-Fi to share their internet connection between PCs and other devices.

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