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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 .
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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
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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
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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
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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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EUROMEDIA 21 |