Worldwide broadband access equipment sales shrink in 1Q20, but rebound expected: Dell’Oro

June 10, 2020

Total PON optical network terminal (ONT) unit shipments shrank 15%, as new installations were limited by the pandemic.

Worldwide sales of broadband access equipment slipped 15% year-over-year, to $2.5 billion, during the first quarter of 2020, says Dell’Oro Group. The market research firm says in its 1Q20 Broadband Access and Home Networking Quarterly Report that COVID-19 induced supply chain issues in Asia-Pacific were the main cause. However, broadband systems sales should pick up later this year, according to Dell’Oro analysts.

“The first half of 2020 will give way to a sustained rebound in broadband equipment spending in the second half of the year,” explained Jeff Heynen, senior research director, broadband access and home networking for Dell’Oro. “The need to expand residential broadband speeds and availability will ultimately win out over the current macroeconomic slowdown.”

COVID-19 led equipment revenues in the Asia-Pacific region to slip 28% versus the year-ago quarter, reports Dell’Oro. Total PON optical network terminal (ONT) unit shipments shrank 15%, as new installations were limited by the pandemic as well. Cable access concentrator revenue decreased 22% to $211 million, thanks to a reduction in CCAP license purchases in North America. However, DOCSIS 3.1 CPE shipments grew to 5.8 million, accounting for 67% of all cable CPE shipments.

Dell’Oro’s Broadband Access and Home Networking Quarterly Report includes tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, average selling prices, and port/unit shipments for cable, DSL, and PON equipment. Coverage includes Converged Cable Access Platforms (CCAP) and Distributed Access Architectures (DAAs); Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs) broken down by technology, including ADSL/ADSL2+, G.SHDSL, VDSL, VDSL Profile 35b, and G.fast; PON optical line terminals (OLTs); cable, DSL, and PON CPE; and SOHO WLAN equipment, including mesh routers.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

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, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.