The Rise of Fiber

Fiber broadband is now by far the most typical technique of fastened broadband connectivity worldwide, though the image varies from area to area.

In accordance with TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, on the finish of September 2024, round 72% of fastened broadband subscriptions globally used fiber for the last-mile connection by way of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) applied sciences.

Cable broadband and DSL are the following hottest choices globally, however they path nicely behind, with shares of 13% and 10%, respectively. The rest of the market is rounded out with fastened wi-fi entry (FWA) companies and different applied sciences, akin to satellite tv for pc.

Fiber Leads the Manner
Mounted Broadband Subscriptions (Sep 2024)

On the finish of 2020, fiber accounted for a 60% share, and 5 years earlier than that—on the finish of 2015—fiber connections represented solely round 34% of the general market, trailing DSL with its share of 39%. Fiber went on to overhaul DSL for the market lead in 2016.

Fiber Strongholds in Asia

The area with the best penetration of fiber broadband subscriptions is Asia, the place FTTH and FTTB account for greater than 90% of all fastened broadband traces.

That is primarily because of the widespread use of fiber for last-mile entry in China, the biggest fastened broadband market on the planet by some margin. Certainly, its Q3 2024 subscription complete of 670 million was larger than the full for the following 20 largest nations mixed.

China has the biggest fastened broadband market on the planet by some margin. Its Q3 2024 subscription complete of 670 million was larger than the full for the following 20 largest nations mixed.

Fiber entry is extremely in style in China, and the three principal fastened broadband suppliers—China Cell, China Telecom, and China Unicom—have all deployed intensive networks. Because of this, there have been an estimated 637 million FTTx subscriptions in China on the finish of September 2024, or round 95% of the general sector.

Goodbye, DSL
Mounted Broadband Know-how Splits, 2009-2024

Asia’s subsequent largest fastened broadband market is Japan, with 55 million subscriptions, together with virtually 41 million by way of fiber. India, too, has a excessive proportion of fiber customers, accounting for greater than 39 million of its 45 million fastened broadband subscriptions.

Different Areas

Latin America has seen a robust take-up of fiber broadband companies over the previous few years.

On the finish of 2014, the know-how solely accounted for round 5% of all subscriptions throughout the area. This determine rose to 24% 5 years later. By September 2024, 69% of all fastened broadband subscriptions in Latin America had been by way of fiber, a a lot faster development charge than in some other area.

The most important single market within the area is Brazil, with 39 million fiber subscriptions from a hard and fast broadband complete of 51 million as of September 2024. Mexico takes second place, with 23 million fiber-connected households from an general nation broadband complete of 28 million.

In Africa, solely round 23% of fastened broadband prospects use fiber, whereas DSL and stuck wi-fi are extra broadly used.

Within the U.S. and Canada, fiber loses out to cable broadband. Nevertheless, cable’s share—57% on the finish of September 2024—is steadily eroding as fiber take-up will increase. Fiber accounted for 28% of subscriptions on the similar date, having doubled its share of the market since 2018.

In 2022, fiber took over from DSL as the primary type of fastened broadband connectivity in Europe. By Q3 2024, fiber claimed 51% of the sector, DSL had 29%, and cable broadband accounted for 16%.