According to the FTTH Council Europe, full fibre deployments have been ramping up in much of Western Europe. The main movers in its most recent Market Panorama report were France, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The total number of homes passed with fibre connectivity in September 2021 compared to the previous year totaled more than 22 million.
Fibre has long been touted as the most durable technology to bring connectivity to an increased number of customers and communities. Fibre can bring social and economic benefits for rural and urban settings. The European Union’s overarching broadband strategy is to deliver a European Gigabit Society by 2025 and connect European citizens and businesses with very high-capacity networks by 2030. This notably includes access to gigabit connectivity for European households and uninterrupted 5G coverage.
Service providers continue to rollout network builds, either by sharing infrastructure with others, or entering into financial partnerships. But can network operators across Europe sustain this increased demand?