The worldwide total of DSL and cable broadband users will grow by an average of 9% annually over the next five years, reaching 480 million subscribers by 2012, according to new data from ABI Research.



"The Asia-Pacific region offers a potentially huge market," said broadband research analyst Serene Fong of ABI Research's Asia bureau. "In terms of statistical benchmarking, the subscriber base in the Asia-Pacific region will grow substantially over the next five years, and is expected to outperform other areas. Much of the Asia-Pacific growth is expected to be fueled by the flourishing Chinese broadband market."

ABI also claims that broadband via DSL will grow more quickly than cable because it can leverage existing telecommunications infrastructures, leading to lower prices and greater ease of deployment.