The audience for broadband Internet media will grow to half a billion people within the next five years, according to Gartner. Worldwide consumer broadband penetration reached 18 percent of households in 2007, and will reach 25 percent by 2012.

Numbers like this point out that the broadband audience is rapidly growing to be larger than traditional broadcast audiences.

“Broadband penetration will increase, especially in the geographically larger markets, as current broadband providers continue to deploy their services, as newer technologies (wireless broadband, such as WiMAX) attract subscribers, and as users experience firsthand how speed enhances their Internet sessions,” said Amanda Sabia, principal research analyst at Gartner.

“Consumers in heavily penetrated markets are already addicted to broadband, thus the future in these markets is less concerned with increasing subscriber numbers, and more with addressing what new applications and/or content will be transmitted over this pipe,” Ms. Sabia said.

“Newer ventures in these markets are primarily entertainment (such as Internet video content and games), Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and home networking, which will bring these devices and services into one integrated system within the home.”