IMS Research has revealed that the number of broadband subscribers has just passed 150 mln worldwide. This represented an increase of 51 mln since the beginning of 2004. IMS Research is forecasting that the number of broadband subscribers will surpass 400 mln during 2009.
DSL continues to put distance between itself and cable as the most popular broadband technology, with total DSL subscribers passing the 100 mln mark in early 2005. The uptake of cable broadband is also proceeding at a rapid pace, with much upside potential in markets such as Germany, where initial roll-out has been slow. By the end of 2009, IMS Research is forecasting that there will 83 mln cable broadband subscribers worldwide.
However, the gap between cable and DSL subscriber levels is set to widen, due to the fact that, while there are over 1 bln telephone subscriber lines in the world, most of which could be DSL enabled, there are only around 530 mln homes worldwide that are passed by cable.