Communication Networks Economy

Appendix 10NGN and the Internet in Figures

In 30 years, the Internet has conquered over half the globe and the NGN standards which connect fixed-line networks to mobile networks have shown the consistency of the plans initialized several decades earlier. These positive results demonstrate the merits of the proposals made internationally on the political and commercial levels.

Connections

New generation networks (NGNs) ensure the inter functionality of digital circuit-switched telephone networks with digital mobile telephone networks and the Internet. Internet access through a digital circuit-switched telephone network requires the use of compatible dial-up modems or connection through a suitable digital link (ADSL, VDSL2). No mobile telephone terminals consistently provide access to all multimedia applications available on the Internet. A broadband Internet connection is a guarantee of good quality of service for multimedia applications.

The Internet’s place in the world at the end of 2015

At the end of 2015, the number of subscribers in mobile cellular telephony surpassed 7 billion (usage rate of 97%) and 9.5 billion mobile subscriptions are expected by the end of 2020. Between 2000 and 2015, global Internet penetration rose from 6.5 to 43%, a sevenfold increase. Fixed broadband technology is spreading at a slower rate and reached 11% penetration by the end of 2015. Mobile broadband is the most dynamic part of the market worldwide and had a penetration rate of 47% at the end ...