DSL remains most popular broadband technology

In the first six months of 2005, another 24.5 million homes and businesses around the world moved to broadband, according to the latest data produced for the DSL Forum by industry analyst Point Topic.

In the first six months of 2005, another 24.5 million homes and businesses around the world moved to broadband, according to the latest data produced for the DSL Forum by industry analyst Point Topic.

By 30 June 2005, there were 176 million broadband connections, with digital subscriber line (DSL) accounting for almost three-quarters of total broadband growth in the year, so far.

Almost 115 million now choose DSL for broadband access around the world, with 17.7 million subscribers added in the first half of 2005 - more than two and a half times the 6.8 million growth in other broadband technologies.

More than eight million signed up to broadband services in the European Union, in the period, with 81% of all its subscribers choosing DSL.

With 47.5 million subscribers, the EU is now the world's number one region for broadband, taking over from North America.

The USA remains the country with the largest broadband population in the world, at 38.2 million subscribers.

It has seen 16% growth in DSL subscribers so far in 2005, compared with the 10% increase in other broadband access technologies.

In 16 countries, at least one in ten people have a broadband connection - half of these nations are in Europe.

DSL remains the most popular broadband access technology around the world.

According to Michael Brusca, Chairman of the DSL Forum: "By using the existing copper telephone infrastructure and applying standards-based DSL technologies, with equipment that has been tested for interoperability and by deploying our growing range of robust, practical technical solutions for deployment and management of broadband services, countries can accelerate their broadband development efficiently and cost-effectively".

China has been fast-tracking its broadband development and is the first country in the world to reach over 20 million subscribers.

Of the established DSL nations, the fastest growing are Australia at 40%, the UK at 37% and Brazil at 27%, all among the 15 countries with over one million subscribers to broadband DSL.

Tim Johnson of Point Topic, said: "Broadband is on track to achieve at least 200 million global subscribers by the end of 2005, with more than ten countries achieving 20% market penetration".

"Newer entrants to the broadband access markets are accelerating their deployment of services to catch up with the more established territories, adding to their global competitiveness.

Monitoring new entrants' progress is a constant challenge that we have addressed by identifying local contributors to help collect robust data".

We have been particularly assisted in this edition of our statistics by J'son and Partners in Russia, and the ISP Association of India".

"Exponential expansion of global subscribers to DSL over the past five years has been matched only by the dynamic development of the technology itself", said Brusca.

"Today, thanks primarily to the combined and unswerving efforts of technical experts from around 200 service providers and equipment manufacturers, working through consensus in the international DSL Forum, the DSL technology is the world's core resource for delivering multiple advanced services".

Back to top