Most Asia and Pacific governments are investing large amounts of money to ensure their citizens and companies have an affordable chance at broadband, or high-speed internet, International Data Corporation said in a report on Monday.
Revenues from broadband access are forecast to reach $14-billion in 2008 for the region excluding Japan, IDC said, with a 16% annual growth rate between now and then. The entire broadband access market totalled nearly $6,8-billion in 2003, with a year-on-year increase of 38%, said Tim Crowley, IDC’s research manager. At the end of last year, there were 29-million broadband subscribers across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, representing year-on-year growth of 58%.
By 2008, the largest markets in revenue terms will be South Korea, China and Taiwan, IDC said.
”Last year, China displaced South Korea, although we estimate that the broadband penetration of households in China is still below 3%,” Crowley said. Other top markets in terms of broadband penetration of households are Hong Kong, with 50%, Taiwan at 40%, and Singapore, with 29%. – Sapa-DPA