Fixed broadband becoming even more prominent

The global market for fixed broadband services climbed during the first quarter of 2012, with approximately 16 million new subscribers joining the fold and purchasing broadband internet plans, a recent study from Point Topics and released by the Broadband Forum found.

According to the study, the number of global subscribers to fixed broadband services has climbed to more than 600 million, with growth coming largely in developing economic markets. In mature economies, such as North America and Europe, slow fixed broadband growth can be attributed to the already pervasive nature of the technology. In less developed regions, especially the Asia-Pacific, broadband subscriptions are rising quickly as economies grow and demand for advanced internet services increases.

The quarterly rise in broadband subscriptions was relatively small at roughly 16 million, representing a 2.7 percent increase sequentially. However, the year-over-year growth was in double digits, as subscriptions climbed by 11.5 percent.

Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum, explained that reaching the total milestone of 600 million fixed broadband subscribers is a major step in the right direction for internet service providers.

"It is just 18 months since we celebrated the 500 million subscriber watershed and even less time since IPTV subscribers reached 50 million - yet in both cases growth is still accelerating," said Mersh. "It is especially rewarding to be making this announcement in Asia, which has contributed so much to fuelling this phenomenal success. I am also particularly pleased to see how exceptionally well fiber is doing, a clear indication of the importance of our continued efforts in testing and certification of GPON."

For the most part, fiber's growth has come in the form of fiber to the home and fiber to the business networks. However, there is an ongoing debate in many regions as to whether fiber to the premises will be the best long-term option in a world that is increasingly embracing mobile technologies. Some experts believe that FTTH and FTTB networks are still vital despite the popular of mobile devices. Furthermore, fiber-optic cabling infrastructure is needed as the backhaul system for mobile networks. As a result, optical networking solutions will likely remain vital, regardless of whether GPON and other core optical technologies continue to grow. The mobile revolution also favors optical network deployment.

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