World’s top 10 most fiber broadband-enabled countries -- Singapore to overtake South Korea as fiber leader!

BOSTON, USA: “The future of broadband is clearly in fiber,” according to analyst, Ben Piper, Director of the Strategy Analytics Multiplay Market Dynamics service. “The existing Telco xDSL infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life. Soon it will no longer be able to support increasingly bandwidth-heavy consumer applications.”

Table: Source -- Strategy Analytics
Rankings just released by Strategy Analytics show that eight of the world’s top 10 most fiber broadband-enabled countries are Asian and Eastern European.

At the end of 2009, 51 percent of South Korean households will have a fiber connection, making it the most fiber-connected country worldwide. Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Lithuania round out the top five in the firm’s rankings.

Singapore will overtake South Korea for the number one position by 2013, according to Strategy Analytics. Part of the Singaporean government's “iN2015” initiative is the construction of a 1 Gbps Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, currently underway, with mandated 100% coverage by January 1, 2013.

Likewise, Australia, which this year launched its $31 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), will catapult from 21st to 8th place worldwide by 2013, according to Strategy Analytics. The government-backed FTTP based solution aims to deliver 100 Mbps FTTP service to 90% of Australian households, schools, and businesses over the next eight years.

Strategy Analytics’ Global Broadband Forecast: 1H’09 provides coverage 60 countries in five discrete regions, and provides history and forecasts for key metrics including: Households, PC Penetration, Internet Access Subscriptions, Household Internet Access Penetration, Broadband Subscriptions, Household Broadband Access Penetration, Broadband Users, Dial-up vs Broadband splits, Service Revenues, ARPU, and Subscriptions by Technology Platform (xDSL, Cable,FTTx, and FWA / WiMax).

CommunicAsia2009 balances mainstay business and technology issues

SINGAPORE: The CommunicAsia2009 Summit, held alongside CommunicAsia2009, Asia’s largest infocomm exhibition, will highlight infrastructure technologies and how to leverage on these to increase profitability.

The four-day Summit will feature a balance of mainstay business and technology issues. Delegates can look forward to exciting conference topics like Mobile Services and Business Models, Network Enablers and Architectures, Satellite Communications, Green Telecoms, Mobile Marketing and Advertising, Mobile TV and Entertainment, IPTV, Next Generation Broadband.

A new inclusion this year is the Next Generation Broadband Forum which will discuss issues operators face as they seek to meet the increasing consumer demand for bandwidth connectivity.

One of the recent significant developments in the global broadband landscape is the emergence of national broadband networks as governments recognise the potential of infocomm technology as a driver of a country’s economic growth and competitiveness.

Also new, is Green Telecoms, which will explore the benefits of controlling energy consumption, minimising carbon footprints and examine the ethical and commercial benefits of going green.

Mobile Marketing & Advertising, another new topic will address challenges faced by companies and how to leverage on these platforms to increase profitability. Key industry topics in mobile and wireless technologies from HSPA to LTE to WiMAX will also be addressed, and the business challenges and opportunities explored.

The Summit will feature more than 100 speakers from industry giants like Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, THAICOM, Telekom Malaysia, City Telecom (HK), Intel Corporation, TANBERG Television, and Yahoo!.

Scott Goodstein, the external online director of US President Barack Obama’s watershed online and social media campaign will be presenting his experience on integrating mobile marketing for Obama’s campaign. He will also be sharing on how companies can make use of mobile marketing to increase their brand share in the market, as well as capturing greater revenues.

“The CommunicAsia Summit provides delegates with the most up-to-date topics in the infocomm industry and an excellent platform to network with senior-level industry experts, peers, partners, and even competitors in the industry. The current economic climate compels companies to seek opportunities and higher profitability in the global marketplace. The Summit offers insights to addressing these issues.” said Victor Wong, Project Director for CommunicaAsia from show organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services.

The CommunicAsia2009 Summit is held with CommunicAsia2009, the largest infocomm exhibition and conference in Asia, and a must-attend event in the calendar for business leaders, government officials and trade professionals across the region. The show, together with BroadcastAsia are expected to feature about 2,000 exhibiting companies from 65 countries and regions from across the globe.