Fixed broadband revenue to touch $191 bn in 2012: ABI Research

The worldwide fixed broadband revenue is expected to reach $191 billion mark in the year 2012, because of strong growth in subscription and service revenue, says research firm ABI Research.

The year 2011 witnessed significant subscriber additions in all fixed platforms such as DSL, cable, and optical fiber.

''Consumers are becoming increasingly reliant on a number of data-intensive services such as high-definition online video services, IPTV, and online gaming,'' said Khin Sandi Lynn, research analyst.

The broadband providers are upgrading existing networks to meet rising bandwidth demand, with some DSL operators completely replacing existing copper lines with pure optical fiber to offer fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service. Nearly 5 percent of DSL broadband customers worldwide had access to VDSL service in 2011.

The cable operators are aggressively upgrading networks to DOCSIS 3.0, in order to compete with DSL and fiber operators. The revenue is expected to reach $217 billion in 2016.