According to a report from Infonetics Research, there are now more mobile broadband subscribers in the world than there are fixed-line broadband subscribers. 

Mobile broadband subscriber numbers have hit 558m, versus 500m fixed broadband subscribers. 

“As we predicted, mobile broadband subscribers surpassed wireline broadband subscribers in 2010,” says Stéphane Téral, Infonetics Researchs principal analyst for mobile and FMC infrastructure. “Fixed-line services are not dead, though, especially with China giving a boost to the worldwide wireline broadband base with its massive fibre-based program led by the Chinese government, which has set a 20Mbps benchmark for all broadband subscribers, where most today receive 2Mbps to 3Mbps at best.”

The Fixed and Mobile Subscribers market forecast report forecasts that the number of mobile phone subscribers will grow to 6.4bn in 2015 (the current global population is 6.9bn). 

It says that the number of cellular mobile broadband subscribers jumped almost 60 per cent in 2010, and predicts that it will top 2bn by 2015. WiMAX subscribers grew 75 per cent in 2010, and Infonetics Research predicts this will reach 126m in 2015.

The number of VoIP subscribers (including VoIP over access lines and over other broadband lines, such as cable) is forecast to grow from 157m in 2010 to 264m in 2015.

To get hold of the report, go to the Infonetics website.