It may not exactly constitute a revelation, but an analysis by software provider Sandvine puts some hard facts behind an essential truth of the broadband age.

It may not exactly constitute a revelation, but an analysis by the broadband network software provider Sandvine puts some hard facts behind an essential truth of the broadband age: the better the IP network, the more likely people are to watch video over it.

Sandvine’s report, Adoption Trends of Over-The-Top Video from a Cable Network Perspective (available with registration here) draws from an examination of broadband connectivity trends in North America and corresponding user behaviors. Among specific findings:

• Broadband speeds in N. America continue to trend up. The study points out that the average measured speed for U.S. residential broadband networks in the fourth quarter of 2010 was 5.1 Mbps, versus 3.9 Mbps in 2008.
• The growth and adoption of so-called “over the top” video correlates with increases in broadband connectivity speeds.
• There’s a growing trend towards alternative platforms for viewing video.