rom the desktop PC to the palmtop. Sat- ellites are playing a bigger role every year in the broadband Internet and data access market as well. It is also important to reflect on the role of broadband access on core network capacity requirements. Despite talk about the deployment of broadband access media in the local loop, the reality is that it still represents a relatively small per- centage of the total access lines worldwide. The majority of access is still occurring via traditional analog modems. The growth in DSL, cable modems, fiber alterna- tives, wireless options, and even powerline communications has resulted in some 215 million users worldwide taking advantage of broadband access as of year-end 2005. But compared to the more than 1 billion or so subscriber lines that exist, even this is a relatively small percentage. Penetration levels in developed countries are quite high, but China, India, and Russia are expected to see the largest increases in broadband access in the coming years. It is important to keep in mind that adding broadband access lines puts incredible stress on the core network and The Broadband Evolution will drive the demand for more bandwidth in the core. Therefore, upgrades have to occur in parallel in order to truly manifest the benefits of broadband networking end to end. (Chapter 12, "Broadband Access Alternatives," talks about all the broad- band access options.) Communications Application Trends Much of the economic growth of the late 1990s has been attributed to productivity gains realized as a result of new communications and IT products. Workers with broadband are much more productive than workers who use dialup. Furthermore, the greater the productivity of a country, the stronger the economy. Broadband development-which affects areas including home shopping, telecommuting, entertainment services, communications services, and telemedicine-is viewed as a critical catalyst for the growth of the economy. Another key trend driving the move to broadband is the changing nature of ap