BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
Issue link: https://bbcmag.epubxp.com/i/232134
Perhaps the biggest near-term motivator is Ultra HDTV, which has four times the pixel count of today's highest-defnition program content. Ultra HD television hardware is already available for less than $1,000. BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY STILL A MYSTERY TO MANY Te push to gigabit speeds, and indeed the push toward rational broadband policies, continues to be hindered by consumer unfamiliarity with the way modern telecommunications systems actually work. Almost all broadband users are familiar with cable modems and DSL, but they are much less familiar with FTTH technology and thus with fber's unique advantages – especially its reliability and bandwith, and particularly its upstream bandwidth potential. Only a quarter of broadband users are familiar with the terms FTTH, fber to the home and gigabit Internet. Tis is about the same proportion of homes that are passed by fber. Almost everyone uses a cellphone, and – it would be reasonable to assume – almost everyone has seen a cell tower. Two of three cellphone users said they have connected their phones to their Wi-Fi networks, Render notes. Yet 36 percent of consumers surveyed in June 2013 believed that cellphone-tocellphone communications take place entirely over the air; another 27 percent said they were not sure. Only 37 percent knew that cellular trafc is carried both wirelessly and through fxed networks. It seems the best way to learn about FTTH is to be persuaded to connect to fber or to have a friend who already is connected. FTTH customers are about twice as likely to be satisfed with their connections, compared with customers who use other connection technologies. 90 Percent of North American FTTH Customers Are in the US Canada .52M 4.9% Caribbean .05M 0.5% Mexico .49M 4.6% U.S. 9.6M 90.1% Sources: RVA LLC, IDATE Of the 10.7 million FTTH customers in North America, about 9.6 million are in the United States. US FTTH Connections by Provider Type Tier 1 ILEC 77% Tier 2 & 3 ILEC 10% Municipal 4% Competitive Provider 4% Electric Co-Op 0.2% Cable TV/ MSO 2% Real Estate Developer 3% Source: RVA LLC Incumbent local exchange carriers account for seven of eight FTTH connectons in the United States. Awareness of Broadband Terms Among Random Broadband Users Cable modem 98% DSL 95% Fiber to the home / FTTH Broadband users are familiar with cable modems and DSL but are much less familiar with FTTH technology terms. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | Gigabit Internet 27% 24% Source: RVA LLC www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 37