The recession contributed to 2008 having the slowest total global broadband customer premises equipment (CPE) market growth this decade of 2.4 percent (to 154M units), according to market research firm, In-Stat. 2009 will be even slower. However, cable gateways, wireless and VoIP routers, and wireless and VoIP DSL CPE units continued to grow in at least double digits. In addition, several segments of the broadband CPE market, including cable gateways, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) gateways and Fixed Wireless Broadband (FWB) CPE are expected to grow considerably faster than the overall market over five years.


“Gigabit Ethernet, VoIP, the DSL Forum’s TR-69, and 802.11n are all drivers for CPE upgrades and replacements,” says Joyce Putscher, In-Stat Analyst. “We’re also seeing accelerated growth in FTTH CPE unit shipments in 2009.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

  • The overall broadband CPE market includes broadband modems, routers, and residential gateway equipment for DSL, cable, Fiber-to-the-Home, Fixed Wireless Broadband, and Fixed Satellite Broadband.
  • VoIP-enabled DSL CPE unit shipments saw healthy growth in 2008. More than half of DSL CPE unit shipments will be VoIP enabled in 2009. Worldwide SOHO/Home Routers with VoIP also grew strongly with over 40 percent unit growth.
  • The FTTH CPE segment, which includes ONTs and FTTH Gateways, will see a nearly 20 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2013.
  • The majority of global FWB subscribers are now WiMAX. Asia/Pacific has the lead in FWB subscribers and CPE shipments, followed by Europe. In 2011, Asia/Pacific should capture over 50 percent share of the annual FWB CPE shipments.

The research, “Global Outlook for Broadband CPE Through 2013,” covers the worldwide market for broadband CPE equipment.

It provides:

  • Worldwide and regional CPE markets for broadband modems/ONTs, routers, and residential gateways for DSL, cable, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), Fixed Wireless Broadband, and Fixed Satellite Broadband.
  • VoIP forecasts are included for DSL, cable and router equipment, with a regional breakout for cable E-MTAs.
  • Wired vs. wireless segmentations are included for routers and DSL residential gateways.
  • Global and regional forecasts for installed home networks.
  • Consumer survey perspectives about equipment features that impact buying decisions.