TV viewing habit changes push bandwidth demands

The trend toward obtaining video and audio content via the Internet, and bypassing programming offered by traditional cable and satellite providers, is advancing more quickly than previously believed because of a sea-change in the viewing habits of younger consumers, according to a study commissioned by industry group the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council Americas.

The Council noted that this trend will further accelerate demands for more bandwidth and faster connectivity in North American households, pushed by wider availability of Internet-connected televisions, growth in the number of simultaneous video streams per household and the development of more robust streaming standards to support high quality HD and super HD video.

Based on its survey of 2,000 US and Canadian subscribers to fixed broadband services – cable, DSL and FTTH – the market research firm RVA LLC estimates that 40 per cent are accessing at least some video programming through OTT video services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and iTunes, as well as through a variety of applications for mobile devices through the Internet. However, for those who are under age 35, the figure jumps to 70 per cent.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/international-news/item/2951-tv-viewing-habit-changes-push-bandwidth-demands.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/international-news/item/2951-tv-viewing-habit-changes-push-bandwidth-demands.html