Mobile broadband subscriber base in Africa and the Middle East (AME) will increase at a CAGR of 34 per cent to reach around 38 million by 2014, slightly faster than the global average, a new report said.

Mobile broadband will grow faster in AME than the global average due to poor wireline services and innovative branding and packaging from mobile operators, said the new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com).

'3G and WiMax to Drive Broadband Services Growth Through 2014' examines the current and forecast broadband landscape in AME in terms of subscribers and revenue, and the report then looks more closely at the technologies that will enable this evolution on the mobile and fixed sides.

Finally, it looks at three key markets in more detail: the UAE, which exemplifies the most-developed parts of AME; Nigeria, which illustrates the underdeveloped, sub-Saharan region; and Turkey, which represents the region’s middle-income markets.

“We expect broadband penetration in AME to grow at a CAGR of 20.4 per cent from 2009 to 2014, despite the region’s current financial, educational, and regulatory obstacles,” stated Hussam Barhoush, senior analyst at Pyramid Research.

“Furthermore, AME is outpacing all developed regions in terms of growth in adoption of wireless technologies.”

“In higher-income countries, such as the UAE, we believe that growth will be driven by both mobile and fixed broadband. As for poorer countries with weak fixed-line infrastructure, wireless technologies will power future growth,” he said.

“Fixed broadband providers in AME face the particular challenge of weak and limited coverage, especially in rural areas,” he added.

“This allows competition from other technologies, such as 3G and WiMax. ADSL is currently the main fixed broadband connection method used in the region. However, we believe that other technologies, such as FTTx and WiMax, will take as much as 17 per cent of subscriptions by 2014.”

3G and WiMax to Drive Broadband Services Growth Through 2014 is part of Pyramid Research's Africa/Middle East Telecom Insider report series.-TradeArabia News Service