Penetration of Broadband

Description:

The current broadband penetration in OECD countries (December 2005) is 13.6% of the population. The growth rate of the penetration was 15% in 2005. The top 4 countries are Iceland, Korea, The Netherlands and Denmark with penetration rates over 25%. In real number, the country with the largest amount of subscriber is the USA. The lowest penetration rate is granted to Greece with 1.4%. The EU 15 averages at 14.2% penetration.

The growth of broadband penetration amongst OECD countries is supported by the different governments and enjoys exponential growth:

    2001  2002  2003  2004  2005

OECD 2.9 4.9 7.3 10.2 13.6

EU15 1.6 3.4 5.9 9.7 14.2

Enablers:

- Supporting role of government

- High users transfer rate from dial-up to broadband

- "Commoditisation" of broadband access in western countries, considered an utility

- Disruptive technologies facilitates penetration in developing countries

- Increasing spending power

- Cultural embedding of internet usage ("I will Google that!")

- increased usage for elderly

Inhibitors:

- Security

- Privacy - government control

- Decrease in birth rate (largest users are youngest amongst population), countries with highest birth rate has lowest penetration

- Learning curve limitation within the population

- Accessiblity in rural areas

- Viability of the broadband service providers

- questionable whether the demand for internet involves 100% penetration of the population or if full demand is at a lower level. currently, intenet penetration is:

source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Paradigms:

With commoditization of broadband connections, increasing number of people make the amalgam between internet and broadband.

Experts:

www.balancingact-africa.com

http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,2340,en_2649_34223_36459431_1_1_1_1,00.html

http://www.internetworldstats.com/

Timing:

1997-1998: high speed home internet struggles to get off the ground with the cable modem.

1999: introduction of DSL

2001: home broadband growth rate becomes higher than dial-up, battlle between cable and DSL continues