Telecoms & Broadband Business Newsletter - August 2014

Editorial - Global Broadband - Demand for Fibre Networks Grows

The global broadband market is heading in the right direction with both average broadband speeds going up - and broadband pricing, on the whole, coming down. This combined with the growing demand for fibre network infrastructure creates an environment that is full steam ahead for fixed broadband.

With more than 100 countries now involved in the rollout of FttP; there is increased evidence that commercial demand exists for this infrastructure. In developed economies; FttP demand will, over the next 5 years, grow to between 30%-50% of the population. Competition aimed at the top end of this market will trigger a broader rollout.

Looking at previous developments in the internet/broadband market; it is safe to say that from now on demand for FttX connections will – around the globe – only increase. Countries are increasingly viewing the developments in broadband infrastructure as a utility, similar to models used for gas, electricity and water, and such a model is the key to universally affordable broadband access.

Attracting infrastructure funds to the telecoms industry remains one of the largest obstacles in developing national fibre infrastructure. However, there is one exception where we do see investors being active in the market and that is in backbone infrastructure. Pressured by competition from the wholesale providers using their copper networks as well as from increased competition from the mobile operators; national telcos are forced to invest more and faster in fibre networks in order to stay competitive.

With hundreds of countries adopting broadband policies; national broadband networks are now the accepted best practice for deploying broadband infrastructure. None of these countries’ policies are identical; they are all different – they reflect the political, social, economical, financial and geographical conditions that prevail in each case.  However all agree that a broadband infrastructure is needed to face the economic and social challenges that each country is facing, and the broadband infrastructure is perceived by all to be critical for the development of the digital economy, healthcare, education, e-government and so on. We also see that all the resource-rich countries have embarked on large-scale FttP projects in order to diversify their economies.

BuddeComm’s new report, Global Broadband – Demand for Fibre Networks Grows, provides important insights into the global fixed broadband market and includes trends, analyses, statistics and case studies. It provides analyses on the progress of broadband and fibre networks around the world and the key considerations when developing National Broadband Networks. In addition the report includes valuable regional overviews written by BuddeComm’s Senior Analysts.