The number of people subscribing to mobile broadband across the world is set to grow by 1024 per cent over the next five years, according to a new report from Ovum.

The study forecasts that the number of mobile broadband subscribers over all its supporting technologies is likely to rise to over two billion by 2014. The company estimates that there will be 258 million users worldwide accessing the service through laptops.

However, it also expects the number of people using handset-based broadband could grow from 158 million in 2008 to almost 1.8 billion in 2014. According to the consulting firm, growth in mature mobile and fixed-line broadband markets will be driven by the introduction of pre-paid tariffs and lower prices stimulated by rising levels of competition between mobile broadband providers.

However, Ovum indentifies mature markets like Western Europe as the slowest growing region over the next five years. Instead, the most aggressive growth is likely to come from emerging markets, where a lack of fixed-line broadband infrastructure will represent a clear opportunity for mobile broadband operators.

Steven Hartley, senior analyst at Ovum and co-author of the report, said: "This is a staggering growth from 2008, which is when mobile broadband supposedly 'took-off'... "The ubiquity of the internet and the desire to be connected on the move are key drivers for this, as will be the increasingly adoption of prepaid tariffs, which support the complementary nature of mobile broadband in regions with high fixed broadband penetration."

Ovum's research calculates that the predicted growth in mobile broadband enabled laptops and mobile devices will generate revenues of $137 million over the next five years, an increase of over 450 per cent when compared to last year.