According to new research In-Stat, the number of global broadband subscribers will double from its current level of 285 million to 567 million by 2011. The research firm notes that over the past 12 months, 65 million new broadband subscribers have come online. "The principal market driver for the adoption of broadband service is pretty straightforward: people want to access the Internet with a higher-speed connection," reads a May 30 market alert. "Beyond this basic desire, the emergence of online applications such as viewing video clips or TV programming, downloading music files, and even playing online games, are fueling end-user demand for fatter pipes."

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