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BROADBAND COMMUNITIES
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www.broadbandcommunities.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
2015: A Good Year
For Fiber to the Home
Industry experts forecast an uptick in FTTH deployments for the coming year –
and much more.
By Masha Zager / Broadband Communities
W
hat's ahead for fber to the home in
2015? BroadBand Communities
asked seven experts to share their
thoughts about what the coming year has in
store. Despite their difering vantage points
and varied expertise, there was a high degree of
consensus in their views.
1 Fiber-to-the home deployments will
increase in 2015.
"FTTH deployments will be strong in 2015
– second only to 2008 in terms of added
FTTH homes marketed in the United
States," says Michael Render, president of
market research frm RVA LLC. Render has
tracked the growth of fber to the home in
North America since 2003 and keeps tabs
on all types of deployers.
He points out, for historical context, that
the frst FTTH deployment peak occurred
in 2008. (Nearly 4.4 million new FTTH
homes were marketed in the year ending
September 2008, according to Render's
surveys.) With the onset of the recession,
deployments began to decline and did not
accelerate again until 2012. As 2015 begins,
Render says, activity is increasing across the
board. Large and small telcos, competitive
providers such as Google (and several
new entrants – stay tuned!), cable MSOs,
municipalities and rural electric co-ops are
all ramping up their fber plans.
Render says competitive pressures
are fueling this activity. In some cities,
providers are vying to become the frst to
ofer true FTTH. Consumers are clamoring
for FTTH. "Gigabit" has become a
marketing buzzword. In addition, new home
construction is gathering steam, and many
new developments will be primarily fber fed.
What's driving that competitive pressure?
Render's surveys confrm that consumers are
willing to pay a premium for fber-connected
housing both because FTTH allows them to
work from home and because "the in-home
lifestyle is truly being transformed into an
online-dominated experience."
2 Cable companies and other new types
of companies will deploy FTTH.
Find out more about the future
of fber to the home at the
BroadBand Communities summit
in Austin, April 14–16.