The global Broadband market is forecast to pass 190 million subscribers this year and will be approaching 440 million by the end of 2010, according to Informa Telecoms & Media. DSL technology is set to strengthen its lead over cable based subscriptions with an anticipated 77 percent of the worldwide broadband market in 2010, representing 332 million subscriptions versus 76 million for cable. The report anticipates that, along with Japan and South Korea, Sweden and Finland countries will top the broadband penetration tables at over 30 percent penetration by population. By the end of the forecast period direct fibre and other access methods will still account for well under 10 percent of global broadband subscribers, though after that date the report predicts that the nature of the broadband market may change fundamentally with the advent of WiMAX and other wireless broadband technologies. The worldwide broadband market will change significantly over the next five years. While the last half decade has seen developed markets account for the lion�s share of broadband net additions, the next five years will see substantial growth in two major Asian markets, China and India, as growth in Western Europe, North America and Asia�s developed markets slow. By virtue of its high population, China will overtake the US for total broadband subscribers in 2008, and by 2010 the country will account for a quarter of all the world�s broadband subscriptions. Despite this, China�s penetration rate will still be less than 10 percent by population. Over the forecast period the source of revenues for operators will substantially switch from providing access to offering services over broadband and the most important of these will be TV, particularly over DSL networks.
Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) – comprising digital wallets, instant payments, and QR payment systems – are experiencing explosive growth that's reshaping the global financial services marketplace. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research , the combined global transaction value for APMs is projected to reach $142 trillion by 2030. What's particularly fascinating is the underlying driver behind this trend: a growing desire for financial sovereignty, with nations developing domestic payment ecosystems rather than remaining dependent on international financial networks. Payment Ecosystem Market Development In 2024, approximately 45 percent of the global population used digital wallets – a remarkable adoption rate for a technology that barely existed a decade ago. China leads this transition, with 95 percent of its population using WeChat's payment functionality. WeChat exemplifies the "super app" phenomenon, where payment capabilities are in...