Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) installations are expected to jump 330% in 2003, increasing from 72,100 to 315,000 homes passed—and ultimately reaching between 800,000 and 1.4 million homes by 2004, details a new study from the FTTH Council.
"This study clearly shows that fiber is the broadband technology of the 21st century and that the number of homes with fiber installed will reach critical mass within a few short years," contends James Salter, president of the FTTH Council. "With fiber's tremendous bandwidth, the benefits of current and future broadband applications for work, telemedicine, education, entertainment, commerce, community outreach, and security can be fully realized and enjoyed by homeowners."
Over the last six months, more than 1% of new homes in the United States were built with FTTH service available. Other broadband access technologies are growing at about 72% per year, well below the exponential growth rate of FTTH. According to the report, which was prepared by market researcher Render, Vanderslice & Associates (Tulsa, OK), the average take rate for high-speed Internet services in FTTH projects is 21%, compared to 14% for DSL and cable modems. Almost all FTTH homes are offered high-speed Internet, nearly 75% are offered video, and 67% voice—60% are offered all three services.
For more details on the report, "Fiber to the Home and Optical Broadband 2002," visit www.ftthcouncil.org.