CAMBRIDGE, U.K.-Wireless operators are expected to battle fixed-line operators for a chunk of the broadband home market, which could be worth more than $100 billion by 2008, according to a report from Analysys.
“While the major share of the market will go to consumer electronics companies, content owners and packagers, broadband operators could generate up to $12.5 billion by providing broadband home services such as communications, entertainment, IT and security services,” said Margaret Hopkins, author of the report. “These services could be delivered over the fixed-broadband Internet, but many of them could equally well be delivered over broadcast TV networks using mobile phones to provide interactivity.”
The Analysys report examines two scenarios. In one, broadband Internet service providers gain up to $38 per month in revenue per household, or a total of $12.5 billion in 2008. In another scenario, mobile operators and broadcasters take most of this revenue, with mobile operators adding up to $2.26 per month to consumer ARPUs, or a total of $5 billion in 2008.
Whether fixed or mobile wins, the broadband market will depend on the services offered, the development of standards and open platforms, and partnerships, according to Analysys. “There has been a tendency to assume that many broadband services will be offered over fixed networks, but it is increasingly obvious that some could also be delivered using mobile, especially if the mobile operators form partnerships with broadcasters,” said Hopkins.
