• Reuters, Thursday, June 21, 2007 11:03 AM

A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers claims that global Web spending will continue to grow by double digits through 2011, fueled by higher-speed Web connections and the increased adoption of the Web as an entertainment medium by consumers. The PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook report claims that spending across the globe will increase at an average clip of 10.7%, hitting $78.4 billion by 2011, a 60% rise from last year's $47.2 billion.

The U.S. is currently the world's largest online ad market, and that should continue over the next four years, as Web spending rises to $35.4 billion, or 45% of the projected global total. However, the opportunity for growth will be in China, which is expected to overtake the U.S. in terms of total users by 2009.

So-called triple-play packages that combine Internet, telephone and television services are seen as a driver of broadband growth in each global region over the next five years. Other prognosticators might disagree, as Internet TV and telephony make it easier and cheaper for consumers to watch TV and make phone calls online. Imagine if in five years every electronic device is Web-enabled. Internet service could become something taken out of our taxes. By 2011, PwC expects that the number of broadband subscribers will grow to 89 million.

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