Global broadband access on the rise

More people throughout the world are hopping onto the high-speed bandwagon.

Global broadband access jumped by 16.6 million lines in the last quarter, reaching a total of 429.2 million lines throughout the world, says a report released Tuesday by industry group Broadband Forum.

Despite the sluggish economy, growth was slightly higher in the latest quarter than over the prior three months, according to the report.

In this past quarter, broadband access grew by 10 percent in 20 different countries. The biggest gainers were India at 13.4 percent, the Ukraine at 15.2 percent, Egypt at 10.6 percent, and Mexico at 10.3 percent. Access in North America rose 3.87 percent, reaching 93.5 million lines, the report said.

China ranks at the top of the list for highest number of broadband lines at 88 million, while the U.S. is number two with 83.9 million lines, the report said.

Among broadband technologies, DSL is still the most popular with a 64 percent slice of the market. Cable is next at 20 percent. Fiber is pulling up fast, capturing more than 3 million new lines to gain a 12 percent market stake, the report said.

Based in California, the Broadband Forum is a worldwide group of around 200 companies involved with telecommunications, computing, and networking. The broadband report was prepared for the forum by industry research firm Point Topic.