FTTP rising, but still lags competitors, says report
April 27, 2005 Scottsdale, AZ -- FTTP availability in the U.S. will grow from 1.9 million premises in 2004 to 11.8 million in 2009, according to a report from In-Stat, a technology research firm. According to the report, while 11.8 million premises passed by fiber-optic cable represent considerable growth, the figure is still a small percentage of the nation's households and businesses. The firm estimates that there are presently over 110 million households in the U.S.
The firm believes video services will be a key to successful FTTP deployments, noting that businesses may also be important customers. The firm notes that copper deployments to raise bandwidth above 3 Mbit/sec often take several months to complete, while deployment times for FTTP builds are generally much shorter.
According to the report:
* Verizon accounted for approximately half of all sites passed by FTTP in 2004. Other players in the market were smaller regional service providers such as SureWest, and municipal-based programs.
* Over time, penetration rates, i.e. the rate of premises passed by fiber that actually subscribe to fiber service, will climb by as much as 40%.
* Cable operators will not give up market share easily, as they are already in the process of upgrading their services to match services delivered by RBOCs.
The report, "Fiber-to-the-Premise: Telecom Looks to Broaden Broadband," examines drivers and barriers for FTTP service in U.S. markets, as well as current initiatives. Forecasts include homes and businesses within FTTP service areas (passed premises), along with subscribers for the years 2004 - 2009.
The report is priced at $2,495.