Taiwan broadband equipment makers are forecasted to supply 18.25 million xDSL modems in 2003, translating into close to 70 percent of projected worldwide demand of 28.35 million sets, the Market Intelligence Center (MIC), a division of Taiwan's government-backed Institute of Information Industry (III) said.

Those 8.545 million xDSL modems exported in the first six months of this year already mean a growth rate of 57.6 percent over the same period of 2002.

The MIC said that Taiwan's major clients for these modems include names such as Microsoft, Efficient Networks, Arescom, NEC, Sumitomo Electric, Yahoo!, BB, in addition to international services providers and channel retailers.

Taiwan's top three xDSL modem makers, according to the MIC, are Ambit Micro Microsystems, Askey Computer and Zyxel Communications, with second-in-line companies being D-Link, TurboComm Technology and XAVi Technologies.