The Rise of Fiber

Fiber broadband is now by far the most typical technique of mounted broadband connectivity worldwide, though the image varies from area to area.

In accordance with TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, on the finish of September 2024, round 72% of mounted broadband subscriptions globally used fiber for the last-mile connection by way of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) applied sciences.

Cable broadband and DSL are the following hottest choices globally, however they path properly behind, with shares of 13% and 10%, respectively. The rest of the market is rounded out with mounted wi-fi entry (FWA) companies and different applied sciences, similar to satellite tv for pc.

Fiber Leads the Method
Fastened Broadband Subscriptions (Sep 2024)

On the finish of 2020, fiber accounted for a 60% share, and 5 years earlier than that—on the finish of 2015—fiber connections represented solely round 34% of the general market, trailing DSL with its share of 39%. Fiber went on to overhaul DSL for the market lead in 2016.

Fiber Strongholds in Asia

The area with the best penetration of fiber broadband subscriptions is Asia, the place FTTH and FTTB account for greater than 90% of all mounted broadband traces.

That is primarily because of the widespread use of fiber for last-mile entry in China, the most important mounted broadband market on this planet by some margin. Certainly, its Q3 2024 subscription complete of 670 million was larger than the whole for the following 20 largest international locations mixed.

China has the most important mounted broadband market on this planet by some margin. Its Q3 2024 subscription complete of 670 million was larger than the whole for the following 20 largest international locations mixed.

Fiber entry is extremely well-liked in China, and the three principal mounted broadband suppliers—China Cellular, China Telecom, and China Unicom—have all deployed intensive networks. Consequently, there have been an estimated 637 million FTTx subscriptions in China on the finish of September 2024, or round 95% of the general sector.

Goodbye, DSL
Fastened Broadband Know-how Splits, 2009-2024

Asia’s subsequent largest mounted broadband market is Japan, with 55 million subscriptions, together with virtually 41 million by way of fiber. India, too, has a excessive proportion of fiber customers, accounting for greater than 39 million of its 45 million mounted broadband subscriptions.

Different Areas

Latin America has seen a robust take-up of fiber broadband companies over the previous few years.

On the finish of 2014, the expertise solely accounted for round 5% of all subscriptions throughout the area. This determine rose to 24% 5 years later. By September 2024, 69% of all mounted broadband subscriptions in Latin America have been by way of fiber, a a lot faster development fee than in some other area.

The biggest single market within the area is Brazil, with 39 million fiber subscriptions from a hard and fast broadband complete of 51 million as of September 2024. Mexico takes second place, with 23 million fiber-connected households from an general nation broadband complete of 28 million.

In Africa, solely round 23% of mounted broadband prospects use fiber, whereas DSL and stuck wi-fi are extra broadly used.

Within the U.S. and Canada, fiber loses out to cable broadband. Nevertheless, cable’s share—57% on the finish of September 2024—is steadily eroding as fiber take-up will increase. Fiber accounted for 28% of subscriptions on the similar date, having doubled its share of the market since 2018.

In 2022, fiber took over from DSL as the primary type of mounted broadband connectivity in Europe. By Q3 2024, fiber claimed 51% of the sector, DSL had 29%, and cable broadband accounted for 16%.