Asia-Pacific FTTH take rates jump more than 10%: FTTH Council Asia-Pacific
Take rates on fiber to the home (FTTH) network deployments grew 10.1% over the past year, according to the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific’s latest “FTTH Market Panorama” study. Last year’s bump capped a five-year period in which the number of subscribers served via optical access infrastructure has quadrupled, according to the study, which covers the use of FTTH, fiber to the building (FTTB), and other optical access technologies in 21 countries. IDATE DigiWorld provides the study’s data.
Several countries saw significant increases in FTTH subscriber numbers. The Philippines saw year on year growth of 168.6%, while FTTH/FTTB subscriber numbers in Bangladesh grew 149.6%, according to the study. Other countries that registered big subscriber jumps included Indonesia (59.5%), Thailand (37%), and New Zealand (30.2%). Overall take rates across Asia-Pacific stood at 77.6% after 2018’s double-digit increase.
Meanwhile, China remains by far the home of the most FTTH/FTTB infrastructure, accounting for 74% of the total homes passed. But several countries in the region saw their homes passed numbers increase by more than 20% in 2018. Thailand (35%), Philippines (28%), Sri Lanka (25%), Kazakhstan (24.9%), and Indonesia (24.6%) all achieved this distinction.
Looking forward, the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific and IDATE expect the number of homes passed by FTTH networks will grow by 18% (to approximately 649 million homes) by 2023. Subscriber numbers will increase as well, at a rate of 35% (to approximately 576 million), the partners predict.
“Across the region, public-private initiatives and national broadband initiatives are fueling growth,” commented Venkatesan Babu, president of the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific. “Alternative players are taking a leading role in FTTH/B alternatives. Continued migration away from copper and 5G will be a key factor in promoting fiber deployments, boosting investments from public and private players.
“These latest figures show a continued accelerated momentum. Full fiber is the way forward and the results of the Panorama provide compelling evidence of this,” Babu continued. “Fiber expansion is booming in many countries and today more consumers are aware of the benefits of fiber. However, there is still a long way to go until every citizen and business has access to the benefits of full fiber.”
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
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