may june | Page 21

Survey : 98 % Brits rely on broadband every day
More Brits ( 50 %) admit that a
reliable broadband connection
is more important to them than
those who said going out for a
meal ( 31 %), taking their partner
on a date ( 28 %) or having access
to streaming subscriptions ( 26 %),
according to a survey by multiplay
telco Virgin Media O2 .
The research also showed that
Brits would rather give up booze
( 33 %) and the gym ( 36 %) than be
without WiFi , with a huge 98 %
stating they rely on broadband
every day and nearly half ( 47 %)
saying it ’ s vital they have a
connection for the entire day .
While two thirds ( 66 %) claim
they ’ d feel confident in fixing WiFi
issues they may experience , two
in five ( 40 %) have been left red
faced after admitting to shouting
at their router in the event things
go wrong .
Despite WiFi being considered
an essential part of daily life ,
many Brits are unaware that
common household items can
negatively impact their in-home
connectivity , with the research
revealing that nearly three
quarters ( 78 %) are unaware that
metal furniture can mess with the
WiFi signal , as can baby monitors
( 83 %) and fish tanks ( 90 %).
More than half ( 56 %) of Brits
claim to know that the placement
of a hub can affect in-home
connectivity , yet just over two in
five admit to putting their router
next to or behind their TV ( 41 %),
on the floor ( 12 %) or even under
their bed ( 6 %) – all of which can
contribute to avoidable WiFi
woes .
“ Broadband is an essential part
of everyday life ,” asserts Gareth
Lister , director of connectivity
at Virgin Media O2 . “ Whether
working from home , doing
an online shop , or catching
up on that must-watch series ,
connectivity sits at the heart of it
all . Yet being conscious of where
to place your router is something
that often gets overlooked .”
Report : European fibre targets “ on track ”
As part of the programme of
the FTTH Conference 2023 in
Madrid , the FTTH Council Europe
has revealed several market
reports outlining the latest figures
on fibre deployment trends
in Europe : the FTTH / B
Market Panorama 2023 ,
the FTTH / B Global
Ranking 2023 , the FTTH / B
Forecasts for 2023-2028 ,
and the updated report on
FTTH / B in Rural Areas ,
prepared by IDATE . All
reports are based on the
latest available data from
September 2022 . The reports
confirm the positive trend of
fibre rollouts across Europe , with
full-fibre connectivity being a
clear priority for EU authorities ,
national governments , and market
players across Europe .
“ The most recent market
figures show that we are on
the right track to achieve the
ambitious connectivity targets
set by the European Commission
for 2030 . However , the data
demonstrate that efforts are still
required to convince subscribers
to choose fibre . Take-up rates are
too low in many countries and
demand drivers are multiple and
complex , and require attention
from policymakers as well as
service providers ”, said Eric
Festraets , president of the FTTH
Council
Europe .
“ We rely on
policymakers
to support
the rollout
in areas
where there
is no viable
commercial
business
case and
encourage
governments
and
regulators
to keep on
creating an environment which is favourable to healthy competition and attractive for private investors ”.
FTTH / B Market Panorama 2023 The total number of homes passed with Fibre to the Home ( FTTH ) and Fibre to the Building ( FTTB ) in the EU39 reached 219m homes in September 2022 , compared to nearly 198,4 m in September 2021 .
The main movers in terms of homes passed in absolute numbers are the United Kingdom (+ 4.2m ), France (+ 3.5m ), Turkey (+ 2.9m ) and Italy (+ 2.1m ).
The top 5 of the annual growth rates in terms of homes passed is headed by Belgium (+ 60 %), the UK (+ 51 %), Serbia (+ 40 %), The Netherlands (+ 34.7 %), and Greece (+ 34.5 %). FTTH / B coverage rate in EU39 now amounts to 62.2 % ( up by 5 percentage points vs 2021 ) and coverage rate in the EU27 + UK officially surpasses half of total homes – 55,1 % ( vs 48.5 % from 2021 ). These data re-confirm the continuous upward trend observed for several years in a row now .
The number of FTTH and FTTB subscribers in EU39 region reached 108m . The 5 fastest growing markets in terms of new subscribers were France (+ 3.3m ), UK (+ 1.5m ), Spain (+ 1.1m ), Turkey (+ 898 ) and Italy (+ 822 ).
By September 2022 , the EU39 FTTH / B take-up rate raised to 49.5 % ( up by 1 % from the previous year ). A clear indication that , despite the progress being made , there is still a huge gap
between fibre coverage and adoption , as demonstrated by the even slower progress in the EU27 + UK , where the take-up rate only grew up by 0,4 % ( reaching 52.8 %).
Overall , the report observes an increasing contribution from incumbent operators to FTTH / B coverage figures , with around 56 % of the total homes in the EU39 being passed by alternative ISPs and around 39 % by the incumbent ISPs , and the remaining 4 % being municipalities / utilities . Alternative operators ’ initiatives are still dominant , but incumbents are now closing the gap .
In terms of the homes still to be covered , Germany , UK , and Italy are the countries with the most work left to be done : altogether , 89m homes are still not connected to FTTH / B networks , accounting for 55 % of the total EU27 household without a subscription .
In the European region , for the fourth consecutive year in a row , Iceland tops the European FTTH / B penetration ranking with a 76.8 % penetration rate . It is followed by Spain ( 73.5 %) and Portugal ( 71.1 %). Seven countries passed the 50 % penetration rate mark ( Iceland , Spain , Portugal , Sweden , Norway , Romania , France ).
FTTH / B Forecasts for Europe 2023-2028 The market forecasts are consistent with the previous estimates and in line with the conclusions of the FTTH / B Market Panorama . The data foresee around 211m homes
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