FTTH
advertisements prevents the consumers from making an informed choice about the products which are available to them and risks hindering fibre take-up and the fibre business case.’ Plans for the retirement of copper are also
essential; Garnier believes that copper switch- off will play a major role in the uptake of fibre. Tis transition needs to be prepared so that no citizen or business is leſt behind. Finally, said Garnier, public authorities will
also play a role, ‘both with the digitalisation of their services and by incentivising citizens with demand-side measures such as vouchers to take up full fibre services.’ Te sustainability challenge is also a key
area where full fibre can play a role as it is key to align the digital and sustainability agendas. Explained Garnier: ‘Full fibre is the most future- proof technology with unmatched quality parameters (latency, robustness, reliability, symmetry) and it is also the most energy- efficient technology. As a result, mandating the use of full-fibre networks can help to achieve the objective of carbon neutrality as set in the European Green Deal.’
Te right path In conclusion, Garnier believes that Europe is on a good path from a connectivity perspective: ‘Countries with strong legacy copper networks or important coaxial cable presence, and which started deployment of fibre later than the others, are now lagging behind but they have announced very ambitious deployment plans.’ Garnier explained that the business case for
fibre is now undisputed. ‘Te only uncertainties that remain,’ he said, ‘are how deep public authorities can go in stimulating demand, how fast the migration from copper to full fibre networks can happen and what measures to develop digital skills will be taken in order to ensure that all citizens and businesses can reap the benefits of an ultrafast connected society.’ Te FTTH Council Europe’s Market
Panorama also found that the alternative network and internet service providers (altnets) still constitute the largest portion of FTTH/B players, with a contribution of 57 per cent of the total fibre expansion. Malcolm Corbet, CEO at the Independent
Networks Cooperative Association (INCA) explained: ‘2021 started with the UK playing catch up to its European and OECD counterparts in terms of full fibre penetration,’ he said, ‘with only around 20 per cent of households having access to a full fibre network at the end of 2020, compared to more than 90 per cent in Portugal. In fact, data published in autumn of this year, in a report from the FTTH Council Europe, suggests that the number of FTTH/B subscribers in Europe is expected to double to 197 million by 2026.’
Fibre Yearbook 2022
Independents day Like Garnier, Corbet feels that this has been led by increased demand, as working from home moves from being a pandemic necessity to a way of life. ‘Te UK (along with Germany and Italy) is expected to see a dramatic increase in both the number of homes passed and the subscription take up rate in the next few years,’ he said. ‘Tanks, in no small part due to the work of the independent broadband sector, the UK is now deploying fibre at the highest rate in Europe and is making significant progress toward the development of “Gigabit Britain.”’ INCA published its own research in June to
help quantify just how important the altnets have become to supporting the government’s target for achieving the goal of making 85 per cent of the UK gigabit capable by 2025. ‘It showed,’ he said, ‘that more than 2.5 million homes and businesses could now connect to an independent fibre broadband network, which represented more than 110 per cent year-on- year growth.’ Corbet went on to say that today, more than
1.1 million properties have live connections to fibre networks provided by independent broadband providers – more than 30 per cent of the total. ‘By 2025,’ he said, ‘more than six million homes and businesses will be using independent networks in the UK. Te sector is now more than four times larger than it was a decade ago and continues to atract significant sums of private investment throughout 2021. £15bn will be invested in the delivery of new full fibre connectivity by independent providers before the end of 2025.’ As Garnier also highlighted, however,
Corbet acknowledged that we still have a long way to go. ‘Earlier in the year,’ he said, ‘the Connected Nations report placed the number of homes able to get gigabit capable broadband as being just 37 per cent of the country’s total housing stock (just over 10.8
“
By 2025 more than 6 million homes and businesses will be using independent networks in the UK”
million). Provided the economic and regulatory conditions remain favourable, independent networks will deliver at least a third of the new infrastructure needed, helping achieve 100 per cent coverage and contributing £20bn to the UK. But a major threat emerged toward the end of the year in the form of the UK incumbent’s Project Equinox.’ Continued Corbet: ‘Superficially, Project
Equinox is about reducing costs to encourage ISPs to move customers to BT Openreach’s fibre networks. Yet the likely impact on altnets is to reduce the scope for wholesale competition. Tis will negatively impact the service providers wanting to use those networks and, ultimately, consumers who are inevitably victims of increases in monopoly markets. In fact, INCA’s own analysis carried out in October, predicts that up to 5 million homes and businesses across the UK will still not be connected to full fibre broadband by 2024 thanks to Ofcom’s decision to allow BT Openreach to deter competition in the wholesale broadband market. Te number of unconnected homes could rise further if Openreach slows its own fibre roll out plans owing to a lack of competition from the so- called ‘alt-net’ independent providers.’
Reducing the digital divide Corbet feels that the UK has a great
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