New Trends Affect the E-Commerce & Internet Business Sector at Speeds of 30 Mbps or More, 2-26-2007
Significant, continuing growth was seen in the global Internet and E-Commerce sector in 2006. This growth will continue into 2007 and 2008, particularly in growing worldwide use of the Internet, access to the Internet via wireless devices and consumer purchases via websites. The number of American homes and businesses with broadband access capabilities topped 60 million as 2007 began, and a plethora of new services, entertainment options and time-saving solutions have become widely available. The U.S. population is becoming more tech-savvy, with at least 72% of American adults surfing the net on a regular basis. According to Plunkett Research, Ltd.'s latest report, the most significant evolutionary trends are:
- VOIP Use Soars and Threatens to Revolutionize Telecom.
For the first time in recent history, local exchange telephone companies face a dismal market for local phone lines. In particular, the rapid proliferation of high-speed access to the Internet in homes and offices makes Internet-based telephony (VOIP) a logical next step for a wide variety of businesses and consumers.
- U.S. E-Commerce Companies Expand Overseas, Especially in China.
Internet use in China is booming, with more than 130 million users already online. U.S. companies such as Amazon.com, eBay and Yahoo! have made acquisitions and invested heavily to promote their services in this exciting market.
- The U.S. Remains Far Behind in Broadband Deployment and Access Speeds.
The U.S. is woefully behind many other nations (including Japan and South Korea) both in the ratio of households using broadband and in the speeds of broadband services that are generally available. However, relief is on the way. New services, such as Verizon's FiOS, now offer speeds up to 30 Mbps at affordable prices. Also, direct, high-speed fiber to the home (FTTH) is growing, particularly in newly developed communities.
To find out more about these exciting trends and more, check out Plunkett's E-Commerce & Internet Business Almanac 2007, just released, or go to www.plunkettresearch.com and sign up for a subscription to Plunkett's completely up-to-date online database!
About Plunkett Research, Ltd.
Plunkett Research, Ltd. is a leading publisher of complete business research and analysis resources, designed to enable professionals in marketing, research and finance to access complete trends analysis, statistics, technology analysis and financial analysis of the world's most exciting industries. For more information, visit www.plunkettresearch.com, or call 713.932.0000.