At the end of June, fiber optic cables will be available in 15.1 million households, according to a study published on Thursday by Dialog Consult, which was commissioned by the Internet industry association VATM. That’s 2.1 million more than earlier this year. Fiber optic connections promise powerful, stable and future-proof landline internet.
According to the study, growth will continue at a rapid pace and is expected to exceed 17 million by the end of this year. The proportion of households with fiber optic access is currently around a third; according to a strategy of the federal government, it should be half by 2025. This goal will only be achieved if the current high pace is maintained, said study author Andreas Walter.
It is a technology in which fiber optics are in the apartments or in the basement (“Fiber to the Home”/FTTH; “Fiber to the Building”/FTTB). The Internet connections are better here than via telephone cable (VDSL) or television cable. While the supply is being trimmed more and more to gigabit speeds, demand is lagging behind: only a quarter of households where FTTH/FTTB is available have fiber optic connections activated. The other three quarters do without it. This is probably mainly due to the relatively high prices for fiber optic contracts.