2022.06.24 – Open Broadband News

Singapore leads fastest internet speed in fixed broadband category

Singapore has the fastest internet speed in the world with a median speed of 207.61Mbps, followed by Chile at 200.01Mbps and Thailand at 189.64Mbps, according to an analysis by BanklessTimes.

BanklessTimes estimated global median download speed in the fixed broadband category is at 63.46Mbps. Upload median speed for the same category is 27.06Mbps. Median latency is 10Mbps.

“Of the top eight countries with the fastest internet speed in the fixed broadband category, China is the most improved one, having stepped up three positions. Hong Kong improved by one position, while Denmark was demoted from the fourth to the fifth. The remaining countries, including Singapore, Chile, Thailand, Macau, and the United States, maintained their positions,” commented BanklessTimes CEO Jonathan Merry.

Fiber Festa driving Portugal’s broadband growth

The number of residential customers of high-speed fixed broadband connections in Portugal reached 3.4 million at the end of the first quarter.

This, according to the regulator ANACOM, was 7.6% more than in the same period last year. Furthermore, nine out of ten new customers opted for a service using Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) technology.

Around 80% of families in the country subscribed to services, with the highest concentrations being found in Lisbon (94.7%), Azores (89.7%) and Madeira (88.5%).

Fixed communication services in India to grow at 5.8% CAGR by 2026

The revenue generated from fixed communication services in India is likely to witness an incline at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% to US$9.8 billion by 2026, from US$7.4 billion in 2021 as per the estimates by GlobalData, a data analytics firm.

The growth can be attributed to a significant rise in the fixed broadband segment. With the population shifting towards Over-The-Top (OTT)-based models, the circuit-switched subscriptions and fixed voice average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) levels have come down.

“Rising demand for high-speed internet services and competitively priced fiber broadband plans from operators with benefits like unlimited internet and access to major SVoD platforms are expected to drive fiber broadband service adoption in India during the forecast period,” said Srikanth Vaidya, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData.

5G connections to top 1 billion in 2022

Worldwide 5G connections are enjoying a strong pace of growth in 2022, elevating 5G from a nascent to a fledgling technology, reports analyst firm CCS Insight in its latest global market forecast.

After two years of turbulence that saw deployment and expansion of 5G networks disrupted by the pandemic, a clearer path to adoption is now in sight.

An associated area also expected to gain a boost in 2022 is fixed wireless access – this provides a cellular-based alternative to fiber or copper line broadband. CCS Insight expects 5G fixed wireless connections will grow 160 per cent in 2022 to 7 million worldwide. “Competition in the fixed wireless segment is heating up, particularly in North America,” advised James Manning Smith, Senior Analyst at CCS Insight.

Although 5G fixed wireless access connections will remain small compared with fiber and cable broadband, more and more operators worldwide are looking to 5G to provide high-speed home broadband, without the expense of deploying fiber networks. CCS Insight forecasts these connections are poised to grow, hitting 83 million in 2026.

Keeping Columbia Connected

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies of Colombia increased the scope of its Connected Homes project. Now the program contemplates bringing fixed internet to 72,000 low-income households.

With the addition of the 72,000 new connections, the connectivity initiative will reach 282,000 connected families by the end of this year. The original plan contemplated the implementation of the fixed internet service in 210,000 homes. The mission of the Hogares Conectados program is to provide a fixed broadband service to low-income families.

It is estimated that, with the expansion of the project, a monthly connection of 12,000 accesses distributed in five regions will be enabled.

“With this initiative we are contributing to improving the quality of life of low-income families through access, use and appropriation of technologies in the digital age,” said ICT Minister Carmen Ligia Valderrama.