Sweden tops European FTTH ranking

Scandinavia and smaller economies are still ahead in the ranking of European FTTH penetration, according to figures presented by the FTTH Council Europe at the Broadband World Forum in Paris.

“The ranking clearly demonstrates that Scandinavia and the continent’s smaller economies are continuing to dominate the list of the top 10 adopters of FTTH services,” said Thomas Kallstenius, chair of the FTTH Council Europe’s Marketing and Intelligence Committee (MIC), in a statement.

Sweden, Norway and Slovenia still hold the top three spots, while new entrant Slovakia takes the place of Italy, which drops out of the top 10. Larger countries like France, Germany and the UK have still not broken into the list.

The FTTH Council Europe’s ranking is part of its Market Panorama study, commissioned by the MIC and carried out by research firm IDATE. It shows the percentage of homes and businesses that receive broadband communications services over direct fibre optic connections to their homes or buildings.

“This ranking is part of the effort we are making to push the FTTH agenda forwards in Europe,” says Jan Schindler, the MIC member responsible for the research. “It will remain our job to promote fibre access and educate people about its benefits.”

The latest figures are the half-year update to the global FTTH ranking released twice a year by the three FTTH Council organisations. The next updated global listing will be revealed at the FTTH Council Europe’s annual conference, to be held in Lisbon on 24 and 25 February 2010.

European FTTH Ranking (country, number of actual subscribers and penetration):
1) Sweden – 478,900 – 10,9%
2) Norway – 204,550 – 10,2%
3) Slovenia – 62,000 – 8,9%
4) Andorra – 3,315 – 6,6%
5) Denmark – 143,700 – 5,7%
6) Iceland – 6,000 – 5,6%
7) Lithuania – 45,000 – 3,3%
8) The Netherlands – 174,500 – 2,5%
9) Slovakia – 54,000 – 2,5%
10) Finland – 60,120 – 2,4%