MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Ovum’s new broadband forecast shows an increase in growth rate for mobile broadband subscriptions – good news certainly for mobile operators.

Ovum ads that by the end of 2015 mobile broadband will swamp fixed broadband subscriptions by more than 300 percent.

Also Read: Broadband subscriber count to reach 275mn 

A startling statistic, but not one that should overly concern fixed broadband operators. Fixed broadband is not as susceptible to fixed-to-mobile substitution as fixed voice was, and growth opportunities are still possible in the fixed broadband market.

Michael Philpott, principal analyst, Ovum, says: "By 2015 there will be approximately 3.2 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide, a huge figure when compared to the 785 million fixed broadband subscriptions at the same point in time."

Although, such significant growth cannot fail to impact the fixed broadband market, this should certainly not be seen as a doom scenario. During the next five years the global fixed broadband market will continue to grow by a compound annual growth rate of seven percent.

Fixed broadband: down but not out
By 2015, on a worldwide basis, 36 percent of homes will have a fixed broadband subscription. Twenty-five percent of these homes will be served by optical fiber technology, and a further 18 percent by hybrid-fiber coax (HFC).

HFC networks are increasingly being upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0 technology, and thus an increasing portion of such customers will also be able to receive advanced, high-bandwidth services into the home.

By 2015 most developed countries will see fixed broadband household penetration of over 60 percent, and the vast majority will not see any decline due to mobile substitution during this time period.