Fiber Technology Trends

For years, the broadband industry has debated which technologies would ultimately win. Cable or fiber. Wireless or wireline. Copper upgrades or full network replacement. The newest Fiber for Breakfast suggested that debate is over. Joining Gary was Erik Keith, Principal Analyst for Broadband Infrastructure and S&P Global Market Intelligence, who shared findings from the firm’s latest global surveys of telecom and cable operators. While deployment strategies still vary by market and operator type, one theme emerged consistently throughout the data: fiber has become the long-term destination. Among the 104 telecom operators surveyed globally, nearly nine out of ten are already using fiber as part of their broadband strategy. On the cable side, more than two-thirds of operators have either deployed fiber-to-the-home or plan to do so. The differences now are less about where operators are headed and more about how quickly they get there.