TECH FOCUS: TEST & MEASUREMENT
MEASURED GROWTH
The importance of fibre-optic test equipment has increased in recent years, as global fibre deployment ramps up. This was evident in some of the latest product developments demonstrated at recent industry events, and also shown in the most recent market research predictions
T
he latest Market Panorama figures, prepared by IDate and released at the FTTH Conference in Amsterdam pointed to a significant increase in
FTTH and FTTB network deployment. By September 2018 it was estimated that the coverage of FTTH/B reached 36.4 per cent in Europe, and, according to a study by Future Market Insights (FMI), global sales of fibre optic test equipment exceeded 1.2 million units in 2018. It estimates a 5.6 per cent year-on-year growth
in 2019 as cable operators continue to deploy fibre into their networks. Te study – Fiber Optic Test Equipment Market:
Expanding Fixed Broadband & Mobile Subscription Base Creating High-potential Investment Opportunities: Global Industry Analysis (2013-2018) & Market Forecast (2019-2027) – references a continuous search for fibre-optic test equipment that is easy to operate, with cost, reliability, and performance cited as the biggest impacts on the time to market of products. In addition, the increasing adoption of fibre optic test equipment for inspection, troubleshooting, and cleaning
32 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 24 n Summer 2019 operations is driving the test equipment market.
Growth opportunities Te penetration of network technologies is also creating potential opportunities for growth, and the global revenue of the fibre-optic test equipment market is predicted to grow at 6.7 per cent CAGR from now till 2027. Evolution
in the design and development of fibre-optic test equipment, says the study, continues, and automation is cited as pivotal for test equipment vendors to combat complexity. Tis continues to act as a key deployment and execution enabler for technicians, with their application extending to procedure documentation, as well as results. FMI says that test and measurement equipment
vendors are adopting more modular designs in order to complement interface flexibility, as these allow for soſtware download into instruments, to beter perform tests from remote sources in cloud- based deployments. Vendors are also focusing on simplifying operations for cable operators, by offering system-integrated lower-level test capabilities. Sensing varied evaluations and associated
complications in optical networking, the study reports that vendors have introduced various instruments, ranging from optical light sources and power and loss metres, to optical time domain reflectometers (OTDRs). It estimates nearly 60 per cent volume share of the market to be held collectively by optical light sources and optical power and loss metres in 2019.
Continued demand Te study also states that the demand for OTDRs is expected to continue, thanks to their high accuracy in optical power metre (OPM) measurements. OTDRs will continue to gain popularity as key instruments in testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance, while evolving to meet current, as well as future, requirements. As the evolution in automated, multi-purpose
and cloud-friendly instruments becomes palpable, the report predicts that the optical communications technology available to cable operators will change in upcoming years. Certain tests will remain essential in the market, but the way they are conducted and targeted, measurement areas will likely witness transformations. Key players are
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