WORLDWIDE MARKET RESEARCH REPORT - CISE

EC/IST FP6 Project No 026920
Work Package: 6
Type of document: Report
Date: 20.12.2007
File name: OP_WP6_D37_V1.0.doc Version: 1.0
Title: Worldwide Market Research Report 195 / 356
an only transmitter, an area of around 50 km. This solution is evidently very attractive for the
African states; however the great problem of the cost remains: currently the wireless
technology is still too much expensive and besides, doesn't have a definitive standard yet.
For these reasons, many African countries (like Nigeria), have shown interested, but for now,
they have decided to wait that this technology will be better developed and that the prices
will cheapen.
In Appendix B, it can be seen the general situation of the access to the information in the
various African countries.
5.4.1.3.3 PLC Network and Equipment Statistics / Volumes
[A31] The latest OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
broadband statistics tell a sad tale of a widening digital divide between the developed world
and countries like South Africa. According to the December 2006 OECD broadband statistics
the number of broadband subscribers in the OECD increased by 26%, from 157 million in
December 2005 to 197 million in December 2006. The average broadband penetration rate
in the OECD is now standing at 16.9%, an increase of 3.4% over the 13.5% penetration rate
a year ago. South Africa’s broadband penetration rate currently sits at around 1%, something
that has been achieved over 4 years. The strongest per-capita subscriber growth over the
year comes from Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Ireland. Each country added
more than 5.8 subscribers per 100 inhabitants during the past year. Compare this with South
Africa’s yearly growth of less than 0.5% and it becomes clear that the broadband gap
between the developed world and countries like South Africa is widening.
Fibre-to-the-home connections, typically providing subscribers with connection speeds of 50
Mbps and more, continue to make in roads into the broadband space. Fibre-to-the-home
(FTTH) and Fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) subscriptions now comprise nearly 7% of all
broadband connections in the OECD and the percentage is growing. Korea and Japan each
have more than 6 fibre-based broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants. Japan leads the
OECD in fibre connections directly to the home with 7.9 million FTTH subscribers in