Global Fixed Broadband Lines Top 700 Million as Fibre Takes Over

New data reveals that the world is now home to a total of 700 million broadband Internet lines (Q2 2015) and the dominance of pure copper line (ADSL) connections has now been replaced by significantly faster fibre optic (FTTH/P) and hybrid fibre (FTTC/x) services. But the regional picture is mixed.

Overall Point Topic’s latest data reveals that fibre optic based connections now account for over 285 million subscribers (40%+ market share), with slower copper line services holding only a tiny bit less and cable (DOCSIS) platforms (e.g. Virgin Media) covering the last 20% or so.

It’s interesting to note that Cable networks have seen a slow but steady growth for many years, although the rapid rise of fibre means that their actual global market share has dropped by 6% over the past five years. Otherwise some of the biggest adopters of fibre have been China and the USA, but elsewhere the picture is distinctly more mixed.

Africa remains dominated by copper line broadband services, although it should be said that mobile connectivity is very popular in that part of the world; more so than fixed line connectivity (fixed lines are usually more prominent in developed markets).

Meanwhile Europe still has a lot of copper in its diet, although this is changing at quite a rapid pace. On the other hand that change is largely reflective of a move towards hybrid-fibre FTTx solutions. A recent study from IDATE offers a bit more insight into the UK and European picture (here). The UK is home to around 24 million fixed broadband lines (excluding corporates).

“FTTH still often struggles to make the business case today but a tipping point is coming for many as the savings in opex approach the capex associated with deployment and bandwidth demand continues to grow. In new build markets and command economies FTTH is the favoured deployment,” said Point Topic.