FIBRE DEPLOYMENT


LEAPS AND BOUNDS


Fibre deployments will show no signs of slowing in 2022 JEFF HEYNEN I 20


n the world of communications and networking, the year 2020 marked a turning point for communications service providers,


as well as consumers and subscribers around the globe. 2020 was the year that fibre cemented itself


as the preferred access technology of the future for a majority of operators. Te catalyst for this strategic shiſt was the impact Covid-19 had on residential broadband network use rates, along with the dramatic increase in premium broadband subscribers around the world. According to many operators around the


world with cable, DSL, and fibre broadband networks, upstream peak traffic growth throughout 2020 increased more than 50 per


cent, while downstream peak traffic growth increased 30 per cent. In the early days of lockdown, operators reported staggering 125 per cent increases in peak upstream and downstream growth, which ultimately levelled off as soſtware adjustments were made to network platorms and new capacity in the form of line cards and upgraded CPE was added. Although the world is gradually returning to


normal, with teleworkers moving slowly back into their offices, there is simply no turning back now for broadband subscribers, who either upgraded or switched to an FTTH service. Te near-symmetric speeds pushing 1Gb/s and beyond, the resulting elimination of buffering for streaming video, and the near-flawless


performance of online and VR gaming, and video conference calls are more than enough to warrant holding on to their premium broadband. As a result, we expect global FTTH


subscribers to continue to expand on a global basis, with the highest growth (by percentage) to come from Europe, North America, and CALA, where fibre penetration rates remain below 50 per cent for many countries in each region (Figure 1).


A wide range of technologies Te fibre expansion in 2020, which saw total spending on PON equipment jump eight per cent and is expected to have shown an


Fibre Yearbook 2022


Shutterstock / Zenzen


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