The days of dial-up internet access (speeds up to 128Kb) are numbered as consumers around the world opt for the fast and even super-fast internet connections now available. The Nielsen Company recently measured and compared connection speeds on home computers during February 2011 across nine countries and analyzed whether speed affects the amount of time consumers spend online. The connection speeds were divided into four groups: 'slow' (up to 512Kb), ‘medium' (512Kb - 2Mb), ‘fast' (2Mb - 8Mb) and 'super-fast' (8Mb+).
In all but one of the nine countries measured, ‘fast' is now the most common connection speed and only a small percentage of people are on 'slow' speeds. On average, across the nine countries, 19% of internet users connect at 'super-fast' speeds, 47% at ‘fast' speeds, 26% at ‘medium' speeds and 8% are on ‘slow' speeds. Only Brazil contradicts this trend with almost half (48%) of home internet users on ‘medium' connection speeds and almost one-third (31%) on ‘slow' speeds.
Switzerland has, by far, the fastest-connected population, with 88% of consumers online at home connecting at speeds greater than 2Mb - and 38% having a ‘super-fast' 8Mb+ connection. Following Switzerland, the US (29%) and Germany (27%) have the greatest concentration of people on ‘super-fast' connections. In fact, all three countries now have more people connecting at ‘super-fast' speeds than at ‘medium' speeds (512Kb to 2Mb). Compared to the opposite end of the spectrum, Brazil has 8 times more internet users on ‘medium' speeds (48%) than on ‘super-fast' speeds (6%).
So how does connection speed impact how much time people spend online - do higher speeds mean greater efficiency, therefore, less time online or does the higher quality experience encourage greater activity? The answer - there's no single pattern across all the countries measured; however, those on the slowest speeds tend to spend the least time online at home. Only France and Germany negate the trend among the nine measured, and in six of the nine countries consumers using ‘fast' (2Mb-8Mb) connections spend the most time online. Switzerland shows the most linear pattern - the faster the speed the more time spent online - as people using a ‘super-fast' connection (21 hours, 20 minutes) spend twice as much time online as people using a ‘slow' connection (10 hours, 1 minute). Italy is the only other country that follows this linear pattern, but the differences in time are much less noticeable.
In fact, for all the countries except Switzerland, the absolute differences in time across the different speeds are generally not that large. Only in Australia, the UK and Spain do we see noticeable differences between those spending the least time online from home computers (people on ‘slow' connections) and those spending the most time (the ‘fast' connectors). (nielsenwire, April 2011)
1.4 billion people globally will access both fixed-line and mobile broadband by 2015 as usage grows rapidly and services converge, according to Ovum.
Ovum also found that in 2015 approximately 3.6 billion people will be able to access broadband services, 50% of the world's population.
Michael Philpot, Ovum analyst and co-author of the reports, commented that Broadband access is now as important as other essential utilities such as gas, water and electricity. In the developed world it has become a basic requirement and penetration is above 60% of households in many markets.
In 2015, the majority of users (1.4 billion) will access both fixed-line and mobile services, showing a trend towards convergence of services. These ‘dual access subscribers' will mainly be in the developed markets of North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific, where 84% will have dual access.
Mobile broadband will continue to grow rapidly and by 2015 one billion people will use it as their only form of internet access, which is 28% of all users globally or 13% of the world's population. This will mainly be driven by emerging markets in Eastern Europe (where 38% of broadband users will be mobile only in 2015), South and Central America (35%) and Asia Pacific (34%).
Steven Hartley, Ovum principal analyst and report co-author, indicated that the primary reason for the strength of the mobile broadband market in the emerging markets is a lack of fixed-line infrastructure. However the areas that see the greatest penetration are those where there are affordable devices and sufficiently capable mobile networks. For this reason the strongest markets for mobile broadband will be Eastern Europe, where 38% of broadband users will be mobile only in 2015, South and Central America with 35%, and Asia Pacific with 34%. (Datamonitor, January 2011)
Global fixed broadband subscriptions will reach half a billion in 2010, driven by continued growth in emerging markets, according to Informa Telecoms & Media. Fixed broadband markets in mature countries are fast approaching saturation point, but tens of millions of homes in some of the world's largest markets, such as China and India, are still without connectivity and it is these developing regions that are poised to drive a second wave of broadband growth.
The number of net new fixed broadband subscriptions in 2009 grew to over 480 million, largely as a result of accelerating growth in emerging markets. That number is expected to reach 500 million this year. China, Russia, Mexico, India and Vietnam were among the countries that recorded the greatest leaps in fixed-broadband subscription numbers in 2009.
Analyst figures indicate that seven of the top 20 countries by fixed broadband subscription count at the end of September 2009 could be classified as emerging markets. The number of net additions in each of these countries was up substantially year-on-year, while those of the world's largest developed markets were either flat or down.
Countries by fixed broadband subscriptions, September 2009:
1. China: 91,348,000
2. US: 82,846,600
3. Japan: 31,240,000
4. Germany: 25,114,300
5. France: 19,306,400
6. UK: 18,033,300
7. Korea: 16,238,262
8. Russia: 12,356,100
9. Italy: 12,116,350
10. Brazil: 10,951,600
11. Spain: 9,681,520
12. Canada: 9,562,000
13. Mexico: 8,771,100
14. India: 7,653,460
15. Netherlands: 6,274,000
16. Turkey: 6,166,800
17. Australia: 5,968,000
18. Poland: 5,654,100
19. Taiwan: 5,549,440
20. Argentina: 3,543,800
(telecoms.com, January 2010)
Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 16:34
