SEPTEMBER 8, 209 -- The FTTH Council Europe has announced the latest figures showing which EU countries are leading the way in the penetration of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) at a press conference at the Broadband World Forum in Paris.
Sweden leads the line-up of the top 10 adopters of FTTH services with more than 10% of FTTH penetration, according to the council, followed by Norway, Slovenia, Andorra, Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Finland.
"The ranking clearly demonstrates that Scandinavia and the continent's smaller economies are continuing to dominate this list," says Thomas Kallstenius, chair of the FTTH Council Europe's Marketing and Intelligence Committee (MIC).
Sweden, Norway and Slovenia retained their hold the top three spots, while new entrant Slovakia takes the place of Italy, which drops out of the top 10. Large countries like France, Germany and the UK have still not broken into the list.
The FTTH Council Europe's ranking is part of its “Market Panorama” study, commissioned by the MIC and carried out by research firm IDATE. It shows the percentage of homes and businesses that receive broadband communications services over direct fiber-optic connections to their homes or buildings.
The latest figures are the half-year update to the global FTTH ranking released twice a year by the three FTTH Council organizations. The next updated global listing will be revealed at the FTTH Council Europe's annual conference, to be held in Lisbon February 24-25, 2010.
The ranking is one of five MIC studies launched in 2009 in the committee's biggest program ever of independent research. Firms such as Yankee Group, Analysys Mason, Pyramid Research, IDATE, and Heavy Reading are looking into different aspects of FTTH adoption and its effects on economies, communities, and individuals.
Other FTTH Council Europe committees will also be unveiling the results of their own research at the Lisbon event.
FTTH Council Europe President Karel Helsen comments, "Our ambitious program of research is part of an ongoing effort to demonstrate that FTTH is a sustainable technology. All those attending the FTTH Conference in Lisbon will have the chance to hear first hand and in detail the results of these unique studies before they are announced to the world."