The global number of broadband connections edged closer to the 600 million mark in 2011, according to the latest research from the Broadband Forum and Point Topic.

Year-end figures from the organisations revealed that just under 65.5 million broadband lines were added throughout 2011, taking the total number of subscriptions to 597,322,636.

In the final quarter of the year, growth stood at 2.6 per cent, while the rate for the 12 months as a whole was 12.3 per cent - the largest annual increase in the last five years.

Double-digit growth was recorded in Brazil, Russia, India and China - the so-called BRIC group of countries - as well as in Ukraine, while the UK also appeared in the list of the top 20 country broadband rankings.

Britain had 20.7 million broadband connections at the end of 2011, with the quarterly and annual upturn in lines standing at 1.45 per cent and 5.76 per cent respectively.

The study also discovered that internet protocol TV (IPTV) - described as the most demanding application for high-speed broadband - saw its strongest ever quarter of growth in the final three months of the year, ending 2011 with more than 58.2 million customers.

Europe is still the top region for IPTV subscribers, although China was found to be the country in which the technology enjoyed the most significant upturn.

Oliver Johnson, chief executive of Point Topic, said: "There are a number of conditions that have to be in place for IPTV adoption to be significant.

"The availability of enough consistent bandwidth tops the list but pricing needs to be right for the consumer as well. Once those metrics are at certain levels you start to see real growth."

In January, the Broadband Forum and Point Topic revealed that more broadband subscribers were added in the third quarter of 2011 than at any time since early 2009.

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