Broadband

FTTP keeping broadband market hot: Analyst

Sept. 17, 2021

PON ONT unit shipments were over 35 million for the second time in three quarters, reports Dell’Oro Group.

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Spending on broadband network equipment climbed 7% year-on-year, to $3.6 billion, says Dell’Oro Group.

In its most recent Broadband Access and Home Networking Quarterly Report, the market research firm points to continued strength in PON fiber to the premises (FTTP) roll outs, as well as an uptick in cable MSO spending on their DOCSIS infrastructure as catalysts for the growth.

“Fiber buildouts for residential, business, and mobile transport applications show no signs of slowing,” stated Jeff Heynen, vice president, broadband access and home networking at Dell’Oro. “Despite supply chain constraints and increased costs, operators continue to prioritize spending on their broadband access networks.”

PON ONT unit shipments exceeded 35 million for the second time in three quarters, Dell’Oro reports. FTTP equipment shipments have remained strong for several quarters, and the popularity of fiber networking led Dell’Oro to increase its five-year revenue forecasts for the broadband market as a whole last month.

Meanwhile, cable MSOs finally appear to be getting back on track regarding network upgrades.

Dell’Oro reports that cable access concentrator revenue jumped 12% year-on-year during 2Q21, to $247 million. Operators continue to address increased capacity demand via node splitting, which has increased DOCSIS license sales as well as new Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) node purchases.

The emphasis on newer infrastructure that can support 10-Gbps service delivery has meant hard times for DSL technology. The report asserts that DSL access concentrator sales dropped 51% versus the year-ago quarter thanks to a lower number of port shipments worldwide.

Dell’Oro’s Broadband Access and Home Networking Quarterly Report details the broadband access market with tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, average selling prices, and port/unit shipments for cable, DSL, and PON equipment.

Covered equipment includes Converged Cable Access Platforms (CCAP) and Distributed Access Architectures (DAA); Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs) by such technologies as ADSL/ADSL2+, G.SHDSL, VDSL, VDSL Profile 35b, and G.FAST; PON optical line terminals (OLTs); cable, DSL, and PON CPE (Customer Premises Equipment); and SOHO WLAN equipment, including mesh routers.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.