Major growth ahead for fibre cable broadband

With many countries around the world already using fibre cable broadband connections market analysts are reporting that there is major growth ahead with more users and providers becoming interested in fibre-based technology.

Many millions of individuals are already jumping on the fibre optic broadband bandwagon, hailing it as the next step in broadband evolution, while the government decides whether a fibre broadband rollout in the UK is the right or wrong thing to do.

Around the world there are currently 49 million VDSL connections, fibre-to-the building connections and fibre-to-the-home connections, with most of these to be found in Asia-Pacific areas, according to recent research from market watchers Informa.

Of all the countries around the world China is the nation classed as the most fibre-hungry with around 16 million broadband connections and it is closely followed by Japan with 13.4 million connections.

By the end of 2013 the number of fibre based connections globally is set to reach 145 million or the equivalent of one in every five fixed line connections, which will be three times the fibre connections currently used worldwide.

Although Western Europe has taken quite a while to join the rest of world in using fibre optic broadband it soon be joining the fibre party. Western Europe is expected to have around 21 million connections using fibre cabling by 2013, which is roughly one in every ten connections. This growth will be inspired by a combination of “greater acceptance of the benefits” of fibre and by much improved regulations around the technology say Informa.

The benefits of fibre broadband has already convinced a number of UK service providers. Virgin Media are already using fibre broadband connections and have recently release a 50Mbps broadband service, whilst BT has announce that it will be investing £1.5 billion to provide 10 million homes with fibre broadband access.