Of this 200 million, more that half the subscribers will be using DSL (digital subscriber line) service, up significantly from the 65 million people expected to be using that technology by the end of 2003.

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10754) has announced the addition of Broadband Technology: Worldwide Assessment and Market Forecast to their offering.

This report presents a comprehensive overview of IC products on the market for Cable, xDSL, wireless broadband, and satellite technologies. Data include chip architectures, features, applications, prices, and availability. The report covers technical, business, and political features of the marketplace, and presents a market forecast of the technology.

DSL growth will largely be fuelled by the Asia-Pacific region. DSL is expected to add between 25 million and 30 million subscribers per year, while rival cable modem technology will account for around 8 million new subscribers annually.

The competition between cable and DSL is getting fiercer as the market grows, competing with steeper year-over-year growth for satellite, broadband wireless and other technologies as well.

In North America, though, cable service will maintain its lead but satellite is expected to experience strong growth.

Cable operators in the United States have optimized their networks and are offering speeds twice as fast as DSL. This is prompting DSL players to slash prices to counter a superior product and make up for lagging market share.