Our understanding of words in the communications sometimes changes. “Broadband” used to be formally defined as any data rate of 1.5 Mbps or higher. These days, speeds up to 25 Mbps often are considered narrowband, as voice, at 64 kbps, once was defined as narrowband.
“Voice” has meant “people talking to people.” At some point in the future, it might more often mean “people talking to computers.”
By the end of 2018, according to research firm Voicebot.ai, 66.4 million U.S. adults owned smart speakers, up 40 percent from 2017. In 2018, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, 88 million smart speakers were in use in 20 key markets.
That number is expected to rise at a 38.1 percent compound annual growth rate, through 2023, when 440 million units are expected to be installed in those markets.
In 2018 there were 942 million fixed network telephone lines in use globally. In 2023 there might be 440 million smart speakers in use in 20 countries, according to Voicebot.
And that does not include the routine use of voice commands by users on smartphones.
It will not take long, with growth rates as high as 40 percent annually, for voice interface usage to overtake the number of voice lines in service.
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