Fibre broadband is experiencing strong growth in manyFworld regions, including Japan, China and North America. This is the conclusion of a new report byInfonetics Research, which shows that the number of fibreto-the-home (FTTH) subscribers increased by 30 per centworldwide last year to reach 40 million.

Overall, the global broadband CPE (customer-premiseequipment) market, including DSL, cable and FTTH, hit USD5.2 billion in 2020. By 2015, this figure is expected to rise toUSD 6 billion as broadband take-up increases around the world, particularly broadband delivered via fibre cables.

Indeed, Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband accessat Infonetics Research, said FTTH is “coming on strong” at the moment, with new subscribers being added “at a fast clip”.“We expect this trend to continue, with DSL subscribers and equipment slowing as FTTH rises,” he remarked.

FTTH broadband differs from fibre-to-the-building (FTTB)broadband as the fibre cables extend to the subscribersliving or working space. In the second instance, the cablesextend only to the property containing the living or workingspace.