Top Broadband Trends

By Catherine Hensley
Updated: May 09, 2012

The telecommunications industry is consistently growing in the U.S. economy, and the broadband segment is currently one of the strongest areas of growth. In the fixed broadband market, most U.S. users are cable subscribers, denoting one of the biggest trends in this sector of the industry. Also, mobile broadband networks are becoming increasingly commonplace, signaling another shift in popularity in the market.

The biggest trend in the broadband market is subscribers switching to cable companies for their services (http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110404_north_american_broadband_trends/). In 2010, 70% of new broadband subscribers signed up with cable companies. The low (only 30%) number subscribing with traditional “teleco” providers points to a definite shift in preference among users.

The three major cable company providers of broadband service are Time Warner, Comcast, and Cox. Together, these three companies service approximately 80% of cable broadband subscribers. Another big trend, however—the transition to a greater deployment of mobile broadband networks — is expected to slow this growth in coming years.

Broadband traffic and user volume is also projected to grow because of increased access to services, particularly with the expansion of home “bundle” packages offered by cable companies and other service providers. Generally, these packages offer significant cost-savings to families who need Internet access in addition to telephone and television service. The growth in this area is expected to make it the “majority” by 2012. Many estimates also point out that roughly 90% of Americans have access (in some way, shape, or form) to broadband Internet service (http://www.nextgenweb.org/news-and-blog-clips/five-broadband-trends-to-continue-in-2010).

In other trends, mobile broadband tools and services continue to grow and perform strongly (http://newinnovationsguide.com/broadband.html). Many carriers are now offering increased wireless Internet access and capacity at faster speeds through 4G connectivity. The development of this technology is allowing greater numbers of users to access and send information in real-time from any location. Worldwide, 4G growth in the infrastructure market is projected to reach around $11.5 billion by 2014.

Furthermore, some predictors think that the biggest growth will come from mobile-related services. This growth will spur the industry, along with projected booms in cloud and other content services, to greater heights, as mobile devices continue to be developed into ever more sophisticated tools. With such a healthy pattern of growth and development expected in the broadband industry, it’s never been a better time to invest in broadband capabilities for your business. Broadband services, especially of the mobile variety, are making it easier than ever to work with clients and business partners around the globe.