Telecom Lead India: Broadband users in emerging telecom
markets in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East/Africa (MEA) will increase
by 17.4 percent in 2012, growing to 375 million, up from 320 million in 2011.
Subscribers in the developed markets of North America and
Europe will expand by only 6.8 percent, increasing to 298 million, up from 279
million in 2011.
Broadband growth will be quickest in the world’s
currently underpenetrated or underserved markets, typically found in less
economically advanced territories,” said Lee Ratliff, principal analyst for
broadband & digital home research at IHS.
Broadband services will increase rapidly this year in the
MEA region, where subscribers are projected to grow by as much as 38 percent.
Asia and Latin America will also be strong areas with
double-digit growth in 2012, compared to the single-digit expansion rates
forecast for the broadband markets of Europe and especially North America, as
shown in the figure attached.
The number of global broadband subscribers will climb to
672.9 million in 2012, up a solid 13 percent from 598.3 million in 2011.
Though the MEA region will experience the fastest growth
of all regions, the total number of broadband subscribers there remains the
smallest at 18.7 million, up from 13.6 million in 2011. Egypt and South Africa
will have the most prominent broadband activity in the MEA market, with 2.8
million and 1.2 million subscribers, respectively.
Asia will experience 17 percent growth. Broadband
subscribers in Asia for 2012 will amount to an estimated 301.8 million, up from
258.5 million last year.
Latin America, which combines the Central and South
America regions, will boast a 15 percent expansion this year as broadband
subscribers hit 54.6 million, up from 47.4 million. Mexico will have 10.9
million broadband subscribers in 2012, followed by Brazil with 4.9 million.
The two markets with slower growth anticipated this year
include Europe and North America, with modest increases of 8 percent and 6
percent, respectively.
Europe has the slightly higher growth between the two because
of a dynamically expanding Eastern Europe, pushing total broadband subscribers
in all of Europe to 194.3 million, up from 180.8 million.
The Top 3 territories in Europe are Russia with 28.8
million, Germany with 28.3 million and the United Kingdom with 26.4 million.
The North America market will see broadband subscribers
pass the 100 million mark this year, including the United States with 93.1
million and Canada with 10.3 million.
