We’ve just published a report on broadband opportunities in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, estimating that broadband revenues in the four-country region will reach $46 billion by 2013.

The BRIC designation, attributed to Goldman Sachs analyst Jim O’Neill, captures the commonalities shared by the four countries, including  rapid economic growth, burgeoning middle classes, and increasingly sophisticated communications marketplaces. 

Just as the BRIC countries are expected to be a dominant force in the global economy in the next decade, so too will they become important leaders in broadband consumption. The bloc’s still somewhat young and immature broadband consumer base, rapidly growing upwardly-mobile middle class, and increasingly important consumer purchasing power all point towards substantial opportunities in the upcoming years.

We see the region as one of the next broadband frontiers, more than doubling its number of broadband connections between 2009 and 2013.

While there are some positive commonalities shared among the four countries, there are likewise some negative aspects which may ultimately hamper their success. Widespread and institutionalized corruption, social and political instability and inefficient bureaucracies all make for a less-than-ideal environment in which to do business.

Nor do we see the BRIC countries necessarily marching in lockstep. In many ways, the four countries are more different than similar, and it would be unwise to expect them to follow exactly the same path.  Rather, we think broadband adoption will play out quite differently in each.