ITU: Fixed-line broadband to be overtaken by mobile services this year

By the end of 2009 the number of people around the world using mobilebroadband could surpass those using fixed-line services, suggests the International Telecommunication Union.

Around 600 million people across the world will have signed up to mobilebroadband contracts, which will be 100 million more than the number of fixed-line contracts, according to the research.

While mobilebroadband take-up in the UK remains steady as more people seek access to software such as VoIP solutions from their laptops, the increase will be primarily driven by developing countries.

Many broadband routers issued by internet service providers in the UK now have wireless features that allow users to set up a wireless network in their homes, but mobilebroadband services generally lack the speed and reliability of their fixed-line counterparts.

Virgin Media was found to have the highest average fixed-line connection speed in September, with figures reaching 7.238 megabits per second, according to research from Broadband.co.uk.