Research and Markets routinely issues "the biggest" reports--this time it's two reports, one covering the size of the wireline carrier industry in the U.S., and the other detailing the 50 largest telecom equipment manufacturers in the U.S. At the top of the equipment manufacturer heap are 3Com, Motorola, and Cisco, who account for more than 75 percent of the $65 billion in annual revenue in this sector. News release.
A 60 percent mobile penetration rate in Africa and the Middle East is one of the key factors in the uptick in M&A activity among mobile operators like Bharti Airtel, which recently acquired Zain Africa's assets in 15 markets for $10.7 billion and which last week teamed with IBM to build out an IT network in 16 African countries, a Research and Markets report says. Pyramid Research concurs, saying the increase in mergers and acquisitions will "directly affect competitive balance in the region." With other mobile markets saturated and with about one billion potential subscribers in the area still unsigned, telecoms in Africa and the Middle East are tempting M&A targets. News release.
One in five households worldwide now has access to broadband, the Broadband Forum announced Monday, with over 500 million broadband subscribers. Industry analyst Point Topic pinpointed the date this milestone was reached as the third week in July. Global subscriptions had reached 498 million by the end of June, growing 2.63 percent during the second quarter and 11.99 percent over the past year. China was the growth powerhouse during this period, accounting for 43 percent of all net broadband lines added in 2Q 2010. News release.