Research

Deloitte predicts that the number of gigabit Internet connections will surge to 10mln by the end of the year, a ten-fold increase of which about 70% will be residential connections. In a study released Wed, the firm said rising demand of gigabit services will be driven by increasing availability of devices and falling prices. It expects around 600mln subs to be on networks offering gigabit speeds as of 2020, representing the majority of connected homes in the world. Meanwhile, the US pay-TV market might see some erosion in the next few years. Deloitte predicts that the number of US subs who cut the cord is likely to be just over 1% in 2016, around 1.5% in 2017, and around 2% in 2018. By 2020, it predicts that there are likely to be around 90mln US homes still paying for some version of the traditional bundle which, while down from the peak of 100.9mln subscribers in 2011, will be 18mln higher than the 72mln US cable and satellite subs in 1997.