[1st-mile-nm] FTTH Stats

[Richard Lowenberg]

Just in from the Fiber to the Home Council.

Fiber-to-the-home connections in the U.S. have more than doubled from
a year ago to surpass the 2 million mark, according to data released
today from Render Vanderslice and Associates.

<http://telephonyonline.com/home/news/ftth_homes_connections_100307/>


FTTH Con: U.S. FTTH connections top 2 million
By Ed Gubbins
Oct 3, 2007 2:00 PM

ORLANDO--Fiber-to-the-home connections in the U.S. have more than doubled
from a year ago to surpass the 2 million mark, according to data released
today from Render Vanderslice and Associates.

As of September, 2.14 million U.S. homes were connected to fiber, more
than double the 1.01 million connected a year earlier, RVA said. The
current annual growth rate of 112% is up from the 99% seen in March and
down from the 213% seen a year ago from a smaller base.

Fiber now passes 9.55 million U.S. homes, up 56% from a year earlier.

And FTTH video subscribers are up 160% from a year earlier to 1.1 million.

Verizon Communications accounts for about two thirds of the countrys FTTH
subscribers and more than two thirds of the homes passed by fiber.

While overall FTTH take rates had been suppressed while Verizon was
building its FTTH infrastructure faster than it was adding customers, the
company is connecting customers more quickly now, said the FTTH Council,
which released the results of RVAs research in conjunction with the
Telecommunications Industry Association.

However, Verizons take rates are low compared to the rest of the industry,
RVA said. The average take rate for all FTTH services is nearly 27% (up
from 22% six months ago). But while Verizon reports a 19% take rate for
its fiber broadband service, for example, the average take rate among the
rest of the FTTH sector is nearly 52%.

Though Verizon has the lions share of the domestic FTTH business, analysts
have been surprised by the growth rate of other FTTH providers. There are
369 FTTH providers in the U.S. today, 5% more than there were a year ago,
RVA said.

Bell companies account for 69% of the countrys FTTH subscribers, RVA said,
while other incumbent telcos account for 16%. Competitive local exchange
carriers hold 6% of FTTH subscribers, and those in partnership with
developers hold another 5%. Municipalities hold more than 3%.

RVAs numbers dont necessarily include multidwelling units, where fiber
often extends only to building basements, and subscribers are served more
directly by advanced DSL over copper.

Also this week, the FTTH Council pointed out that, as of the end of last
year, the U.S. was dead last in a list of 11 countries with more than 1%
FTTH and fiber-to-the-building market penetration. Topping the list was
Hong Kong, with 21% penetration, South Korea with 20% and Japan with 16%.
The U.S. had just 1% penetration.

However, the FTTH Council suggested earlier this week that the new data
could change the U.S. position in those rankings.


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Richard Lowenberg
P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110,  505-603-5200 cell

New Mexico Broadband Initiative
www.1st-mile.com/newmexico
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