AT&T’s fiber business grows along with FWA “Internet Air” in Q4-2023

AT&T added 273,000 residential fiber subs in Q4, down slightly from year-ago adds of +280,000 and a gain of +296,000 in the prior quarter. AT&T ended 2023 with 8.3 million fiber subs.  The U.S. based carrier added about 400,000 fiber locations in Q4, extending that reach to 21.1 million. AT&T remains committed to expanding its fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) footprint to 30 million locations by 2025, Stankey said.

Fiber-related revenues hit $1.67 billion, up from $1.37 billion in the year-ago quarter. Fiber average revenue per user (ARPU) reached $68.50, up from $64.82 a year earlier.

AT&T says it has the nation’s largest fiber network, which now passes 26 million+ consumer and business locations; on track to pass 30 million+  locations with fiber by the end of 2025.

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AT&T’s new fixed wireless access (FWA) service dubbed “Internet Air” gained ground  in the fourth quarter of 2023.  Internet Air added 67,000 subscribers in Q4 of 2023, extending its total to 93,000. Those quarterly FWA subscriber additions were a “surprise,” New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin said in a research note issued after AT&T posted earnings.  Yet they are way below Verizon’s FWA numbers which came in at 375,000 FWA subs added in the Q4 of 2023.

However, AT&T’s FWA offering will remain a limited and targeted product in the operator’s home broadband arsenal.  “I don’t expect that we are going to be pushing the [Internet Air] product the same way that some others in the market are pushing it today,” AT&T CEO John Stankey said on today’s earnings call. “We made a conscious choice as a company that we want to dedicate capital to invest in fiber, which we believe is a more sustainable long-term means to deal with stationary and fixed broadband needs.”

AT&T will continue to use Internet Air on a selective basis, relying on it as an alternative for customers transitioning off of the telco’s aging copper plant, in pockets of some markets where AT&T offers fiber service, as well as markets where AT&T has no existing wireline business.

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AT&T claims it has the largest and most reliable wireless network in North America.  Its mid-band 5G spectrum now covers 210 million+ people, achieving its end-of-year targets. It expects wireless service revenue growth in the 3% range for 2024.

Stankey said 2024 will be the “proving year” for the Gigapower joint venture with BlackRock that will initially bring open access fiber networks to about 1.5 million locations outside of AT&T’s legacy wireline footprint. Initial Gigapower markets include Las Vegas, three cities in Arizona (Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert), parts of northeastern Pennsylvania (including Wilkes-Barre and Scranton) and segments of Alabama and Florida.

AT&T also said that it now has a FirstNet customer base consisting of more than 5.5 million connections.

“We accomplished exactly what we said we would in 2023, delivering sustainable growth and consistent business performance, resulting in full-year free cash flow of $16.8 billion, ahead of our raised guidance. As we advance our lead in converged connectivity, we will continue to scale our best-in-class 5G and fiber networks to meet customers’ growing demand for seamless, ubiquitous broadband, and drive durable growth for shareholders,” said CEO John Stankey.

References:

https://about.att.com/story/2024/q4-earnings-2023.html

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/keicd3et/ (4Q 2023 earnings call)

https://investors.att.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations

https://www.lightreading.com/fixed-wireless-access/at-t-nears-100k-internet-air-subs

AT&T and BlackRock’s Gigapower fiber JV may alter the U.S. broadband landscape

Verizon’s 2023 broadband net additions led by FWA at 375K

Telecom layoffs continue unabated as AT&T leads the pack – a growth engine with only 1% YoY growth?

NTT advert in WSJ: Why O-RAN Will Change Everything; AT&T selects Ericsson for its O-RAN

Deutsche Telekom Network Day: Fiber, Mobile Network, Open RAN and 5G SA Launch in 2024

2023 Deutsche Telekom (DT) Highlights:

  • Fiber offensive: more than 2.5 million new fiber connections made possible in 2023, reaching a total of more than ten million fiber households in 2024
  • 5G front-runner: 5G population coverage of 96%, 5G Standalone also for private customers in 2024
  • State-of-the-art technologies: Artificial intelligence supports fiber and mobile rollout
  • EURO 2024: Deutsche Telekom connects all stadiums, fan zones & team quarters, data gift for all mobile customers

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DT Network Day photo courtesy of Deutsche Telekom

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Deutsche Telekom announced that it has successfully enabled more than 2.5 million new fiber connections this year, thereby realizing its fiber plant expansion target. The company invested EUR 2.5 billion in fiber expansion, expanding coverage in almost 3,500 towns and municipalities. According to the announcement, the company projects a total investment of EUR 30 billion in the fiber optic rollout by 2030.

Its Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network is set to reach eight million households by the end of the year, with plans to extend this to ten million fiber optic connections by 2024.

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In mobile, Deutsche Telekom currently provides 5G coverage to 96 percent of the population, serving 80 million people through a network of over 80,000 5G antennas, including 10,000 in the 3.5 GHz band spread across more than 800 cities and municipalities. The network delivers download speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

The company aims to achieve 99 percent 5G coverage for the German population by 2025 and plans to launch 5G Standalone (SA) core network for private customers in 2024.   DT indicates that 10,000 antennas are compatible with 5G SA in the 3.6 GHz band, covering more than 800 cities and municipalities. This is up from 9,700 antennas in August 2023.

Deutsche Telekom’s business customers are already using 5G SA technology with functions such as network slicing. For example, for live TV transmission of media or in 5G campus networks for industry and research. “In the coming year, 5G SA should then offer all customers real added value,” DT said.

Meanwhile, rival operators Telefónica Deutschland (O2 Germany) and Vodafone Germany already offer standalone 5G services.

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DT began the deployment of its open radio access network (O-RAN) in Germany in December, in collaboration with Nokia and Fujitsu. The first O-RAN commercial deployment will be in Neubrandenburg. Nokia and Fujitsu are supplying the necessary technology components.

“Open RAN increases the choice of manufacturers and therefore our flexibility. The open access network enables more automation. And makes our networks even more resilient. This benefits the people that our mobile network connects,” says Claudia Nemat.

The German telco expects to have 3,000 O-RAN compatible antennas by the end of 2026.

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Deutsche Telekom also says it’s using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in network expansion and mobile communications. AI aids in analyzing and evaluating cell usage and capacity utilization, with the ongoing development of a large language model for telco-specific applications in collaboration with SK Telekom. Additionally, AI contributes to enhanced network security through automated pattern recognition, according to the company.

References:

https://www.telekom.com/en/media/media-information/archive/telekom-network-day-2023-1055364

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/deutsche-telekom-plans-5g-standalone-launch-2024

Building out Frontier Communications fiber network via $1.05 B securitized debt offering

Frontier Communications has nearly three million broadband internet subscribers across 25 states, on a network that reaches about 5.5 million homes and businesses via fiber and another 10 million via copper. About a third of Frontier’s potential fiber customers subscribe, three times the rate of those on copper lines.  Frontier built fiber to an additional 339,000 locations in Q1 2023, ending the quarter with 5.5 million fiber passings and 15.4 million total passings. The company also added a record 87,000 fiber subs in the period, extending that customer total to 1.76 million (1.65 million residential and 110,000 business customers).

However, building out its fiber network will cost more than Frontier’s management forecast when the company emerged from bankruptcy in early 2021. Its latest two million locations cost an average of $830 to deploy. In May, management said it expects the remainder of this year’s build to cost between $1,000 and $1,100 per location. It costs Frontier another $600 or so to send a technician to a customer’s home to plug in all the necessary equipment and the like.

Light Reading reports that Vikash Harlalka, telecom analyst at New Street Research, estimates that Frontier’s fiber buildout plan faces a funding gap of about $2.3 billion.  However, Frontier Communications’ plan to offer $1.05 billion in securitized debt, with the potential to upsize it, will significantly cut down the company’s funding gap to build fiber to 10 million locations by 2025. The company said:

An indirect subsidiary of the Company intends to offer approximately $1.05 billion aggregate principal amount of secured fiber network revenue term notes (the “Notes”), with the potential to upsize, subject to market conditions and other factors. The Notes will be secured by certain of Frontier’s fiber assets and associated customer contracts in the Dallas metropolitan area and constitute the first offering of green bonds by a Frontier subsidiary.

“The offering should close nearly half the gap (more than half, if the offering is upsized.  It takes most of the funding risk off the table,” Harlalka explained in a research note, adding that the move also unlocks a new market for Frontier to tap into for its funding needs.  Harlalka noted that Frontier had about $2.7 billion in liquidity at the end of the first quarter of 2023 – enough to meet the company’s capital needs until mid-2024.  “This new debt raise should extend that beyond 2024,” he added.

Frontier said the debt offer will be secured by a portion of the company’s fiber assets and associated customer contracts in the Dallas metropolitan area, and marks the first offering of “green bonds” by a Frontier subsidiary. The offer will go toward capital expenditures and research and development, “in line with Frontier’s fiber expansion and copper migration strategies,” the company said.

Last week, Frontier stock dropped 21.3% after The Wall Street Journal reported on potential health risks posed by lead-sheathed copper wires in old networks across the U.S. Frontier declined to comment.  The stock decline continued on Monday July 17th with FYBR hitting a low of $11.65 on huge volume of 12,063,100 shares.  It rebounded 43.95% in the next four trading days to close at $16.77 on Friday July 21st (albeit on very light volume).

New Street analyst Jonathan Chaplin estimates that remediation costs to Frontier could reach $6 billion if it is required to rip out all the lead-covered copper on its own dime within five years. But there’s overlap with upgrading those same lines to fiber, and Chaplin calculates a $75 fair value for the stock in this unlikely scenario. “Even if it comes to pass, we see upside to the stock,” he writes.

Frontier is scheduled to announce Q2 2023 results on Friday, August 4th.

References:

https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/frontier-debt-offer-narrows-telcos-fiber-funding-gap/d/d-id/785740?

https://investor.frontier.com/news/news-details/2023/Frontier-Announces-Fiber-Securitization-Offering/default.aspx

https://www.barrons.com/articles/buy-frontier-communications-stock-price-pick-a2f82599

Frontier Communications fiber build-out boom continues: record number of fiber subscribers added in the 1st quarter of 2023

Fiber builds propels Frontier Communication’s record 4th Quarter; unveils Fiber Innovation Labs

AT&T to use Frontier’s fiber infrastructure for 4G/5G backhaul in 25 states

Frontier Communications offers first network-wide symmetrical 5 Gig fiber internet service

Frontier Communications adds record fiber broadband customers in Q4 2022

 

Point Topic Comprehensive Report: Global Fixed Broadband Connections at 1.377B as of Q1-2023

Global fixed broadband connections reached 1.377 billion as of Q1-2023, up by 83 million from a year earlier and reflecting an annual growth rate of 1.59%, according to Point Topic.

There was a decline in fixed broadband subscriptions in 18 countries[1] which mainly include emerging markets, as well as some saturated markets such as Singapore. However, while there were fluctuations in growth rates across regions and markets, the overall trend indicates a steady expansion of global broadband connectivity.

Highlights:

  • Among global regions, Africa, East Asia and America Other saw the fastest growth in broadband connections (2.9%, 2.2% and 1.8%), not least due to healthy increases in broadband subscribers in the vast markets of Egypt, Brazil and China.

  • The share of FTTH/B in the total fixed broadband subscriptions continued to increase and stood at 66.7%. Broadband connections based on other technologies saw their market shares shrink further, with an exception of satellite and wireless (mainly FWA).

  • VDSL subscriber numbers grew in ten countries, while they dropped in at least 22 markets as consumers migrated to FTTH/B.

  • The highest FTTH/B broadband subscriber growth rates in Q1 2023 were in Algeria, Peru and UK.

At 21.6 million, the quarterly net adds were close to the figure we recorded a year ago, though the growth rate (1.59%) was slower, compared to 1.77% in Q1 2022, with global inflation and economic instability having an impact.

Table 1. Global broadband subscribers and quarterly growth rates.
Source – Point Topic.

East Asia continued to dominate in Q1 2023, maintaining its position as the largest market with a 49.6% share of global fixed broadband subscribers. This substantial market share is primarily driven by China with its vast population.

In Q1 2023, broadband subscriber base grew faster in China, Hong Kong and Korea, compared to Q4 2022. As a result, the region’s net adds share globally went up from 63.2% to 68.8%. Asia Other accounted for 10.8% of the global broadband market, similarly to the previous quarter, though the region’s net adds share went down from 12.8% to 9.4%.

Table 2. Share of fixed broadband subscribers and trends in net adds by region. Source – Point Topic

Europe’s market shares remained rather consistent, though Eastern Europe saw their net adds share decline from 3.4% to 0.5%, as a result of slower growth in almost all markets and the decline in broadband subscribers in Russia having an especially significant impact due to its market size.

Similarly, Americas maintained relatively stable market shares of 10.3% and 8.1% respectively, while America – Other’s net adds share increased from 7.8% to 9%, driven by higher growth in such sizeable markets as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile, to name a few.

Figure 2. Share of net adds of fixed broadband subscribers by region. Source – Point Topic.

Next Point Topic looks at fixed broadband penetration among population, comparing it to growth rates across the regions.

Africa and Asia Other continue to have relatively low fixed broadband penetration rates among their populations. In Q1 2023, this metric in Africa stood at 4.6%, while Asia Other reached 5.6%. These figures indicate the potential for future expansion in these regions. Not surprisingly, Africa also recorded the highest quarterly growth rate of 2.9%.

The markets of East Asia and America Other followed closely with growth rates of 2.2% and 1.8% respectively, despite East Asia already having the highest population penetration at 41.9%. This reflects a widespread adoption of fixed broadband services in East Asia, while America Other showcases steady growth in a region with significant potential, where broadband penetration is among the lowest, at 17.2%.

Eastern Europe displayed a modest growth rate of 0.2% with a population penetration of 24.8%. Some markets in this region still have a lot of headspace when it comes to broadband adoption but the growth was sluggish, likely due to economic pressures. Other European regions showed a slightly higher growth rate, with Europe Other at 0.5%, coupled with the second highest population penetration of 39.4%. These figures indicate a mature market with limited growth opportunities.

Figure 3. Penetration and quarterly growth by region (Bubble size represents the size of the market).   Source – Point Topic.
Oceania saw a negative growth rate of -0.3% while the population penetration there stood at 32.2%. The negative growth this quarter was caused by fast decline in copper and some churn in cable broadband connections, while new fibre connections did not fully compensate for this drop.  The latest data reveals diverse trends in fixed broadband subscriber growth across regions. Africa and Asia Other exhibit potential for expansion with their low penetration rates and high quarterly growth rates. East Asia demonstrates strong adoption of fixed broadband services despite already high population penetration, while the developed European markets face limited growth opportunities due to their mature nature.

Among the largest twenty broadband markets all but one saw fixed broadband subscribers grow in Q1 2023, although in ten of them the growth was slower than in the Q4 2022. There was a slight drop in broadband subscribers in Russia which is under international sanctions.

Table 3. Changes in quarterly growth in fixed broadband subscribers in the largest 20 markets.  Source: Point Topic.

The less saturated broadband markets of India, Egypt, Brazil and Mexico recorded the highest quarterly growth rates in Q1 2023, all higher than 2%. China recorded an above 2% growth as well. At the other end of the spectrum, the mature markets of Germany, France, Japan, UK, and Italy saw modest growth rates at below 0.5%. At the same time, Italy was among the countries that saw one of the largest improvements in growth rates, from -0.44% in Q4 2022 to 0.04% in Q1 2023, as its GDP growth also went from negative to positive in that period[2]. Mexico, China and Brazil recorded the largest improvements in their growth rates, at +1.14.%, +0.52% and +0.41% respectively.

Between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, the share of FTTH/B connections in the total fixed broadband subscriptions went up by 0.7% and stood at 66.7%. Broadband connections based on other technologies saw their market shares shrink further, with an exception of satellite and wireless (mainly FWA), which remained stable.

Table 4. Changes in broadband technology market shares. Source – Point Topic.

FTTx (mainly VDSL) share stood at 6.7%[3]. VDSL subscriber numbers grew in ten countries (including modest quarterly increase in the large VDSL markets of Turkey, Czech Republic, Greece and Germany, for example), while they fell in 22 other markets as consumers migrated to FTTH/B.

Table 5. Top 15 markets by FTTH/B growth rates (countries with at least 0.5m fibre broadband subscribers).   Source: Point Topic.
Editor’s Note:  We don’t know why India appears twice in Table 5?
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As fibre broadband continues to establish its dominance, we examined the growth of FTTH/B in markets with at least 0.5 million fibre broadband connections. In Q1 2023, Algeria led the list with a 32.1% growth rate. Peru followed with 14.3%, while the United Kingdom also showcased considerable growth of 11.6%, as the country benefitted from a rapid rollout of fibre networks by multiple operators.

It remains to be seen whether consumers will continue to gravitate toward fibre broadband offerings, particularly as global economies face potential slowdown and inflationary pressures.

In terms of FTTH/B broadband net additions in Q1 2023, China continued to maintain a significant lead with 13.5 million while Brazil added 1.4 million. Mexico is back in the top ten league, having pushed out Argentina this quarter.

Table 6. Top ten markets by FTTH/B broadband subscriber net additions. Source: Point Topic.
Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2023, the global landscape of broadband technologies witnessed significant shifts. The number of copper lines experienced further decline of 9.6%, while FTTH/B connections saw growth of 11.2% (Figure 4), as consumers continued to show preference for more advanced options and transition away from older and slower technologies. Cable broadband exhibited modest growth at 0.5%, maintaining relevance in certain markets.

Satellite broadband also saw a modest growth of 1.3% while wireless broadband demonstrated continued relevance with a respectable growth rate of 4.9%. These trends can be attributed to the demand for connectivity in remote or underserved areas where traditional broadband infrastructure is not feasible.

Figure 4. Annual growth in subscriber numbers by technology.
Source – Point Topic.

The diverse growth rates among different broadband technologies highlight the dynamic nature of the industry as consumers seek more reliable and high-speed connections. The significant increase in FTTH/B connections and the growth of satellite and wireless broadband underline the ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide and ensure connectivity for all.

The top ten countries by fixed broadband subscribers remained unchanged (Figure 5). As of Q1 2023, China exceeded 0.6 billion fixed broadband subscribers, having added 14.6 million in the quarter. Also, the country is approaching 1.2 billion 5G subscribers, with the service now being used by 84% of the population.

Figure 5. Country ranking by fixed broadband subscribers. Source – Point Topic.

Overall, the latest fixed broadband subscriber data reveals a clear trend towards advanced, high-speed broadband solutions like FTTH/B, while older technologies such as copper-based broadband (ADSL and VDSL) are experiencing a decline, suggesting that the broadband landscape is continuously evolving to meet the growing demand for faster and more reliable connectivity.

References:

https://www.point-topic.com/post/global-broadband-subscriptions-q1-2023

Point Topic: Global Broadband Tariff Benchmark Report- 2Q-2022

Point Topic: Global fixed broadband connections up 1.7% in 1Q-2022, FTTH at 58% market share

 

USDA awards $714M for high speed internet access in rural areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $714 million worth of grants and loans to small telecom companies for the provision of high-speed Internet in rural areas in 19 states. This award forms part of the fourth round of funding allocation under the ReConnect program, whose remit is to financially support the build out or improvement of infrastructure required to provide decent broadband in rural communities. The multi-billion-dollar program has been ongoing for around five years and this latest award is the third to take place under round four, the other two much smaller awards having happened earlier this year.

Essentially, the money is going into full fiber deployments. All of the 33 projects receiving funding in this latest allocation centre on the build out of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure.

As noted by a USDA press release, connecting all communities across the United States to high-speed internet is a central part of President Biden’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda to rebuild the national economy “from the bottom up and middle out” by rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, which the agency notes “is driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing investments and creating good-paying jobs.”

To add some colour, there are three projects receiving grants of just under the $35 million mark: two are in Alaska and involve the Interior Telephone Company and Mukluk Telephone Company, while a third will see the Nemont Telephone Cooperative roll out FTTP to homes, businesses, farms and schools in Montana.

The biggest loan, at just shy of $50 million, will go to the Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative in Kansas, where a new FTTP network will reach 4,189 people, 149 businesses, 821 farms and three educational facilities in five counties.

The government itself highlighted the Kansas projects, as well as others in South Carolina, Arkansas, Oregon, California and Missouri that will all reach significant numbers of people. In all, the grants and loans will go to telcos serving communities in 19 states.

“High-speed internet is a key to prosperity for people who live and work in rural communities,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can ensure that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to continue to expand the economy from the bottom up and middle out and to make sure rural America remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, inked in late 2021, provides $550 billion in investment in infrastructure over the 2022-2026 period into transport, waterways, power and broadband; the last has $65 billion allocated to it. Companies awarded grants and/or loans under the ReConnect program are required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides discounts on Internet connectivity for low-income households.

Naturally, the announcement of the latest funding round under ReConnect is peppered with rhetoric on the current administration’s efforts to plough money into connectivity and ignores any part played by the previous administration in the project. ‘Twas ever thus in politics. However, the important point here is that those in the White House at present are showing a strong commitment to pushing on with funding broadband network rollout in those areas that are uneconomic to the big telcos, and that has to be a good thing.

References:

https://www.usda.gov/reconnect

https://telecoms.com/522239/us-throws-700-million-at-rural-fibre/

https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/docsis/article/14295162/usda-announces-over-700m-in-fresh-rural-broadband-grants

 

 

FTTH was ~60% of France fixed broadband market in Q1-2023

FTTH lines made up nearly 60% of French fixed broadband market in Q1-2023. FTTH subscriptions across mainland France and the overseas territories reached a 59.4% share of the country’s fixed broadband market at the end-March 2023, up by 10 percentage points from Q1 2022.

Viva La France!

According to the latest update from France regulator Arcep, the FTTH installed base added 895,000 net connections since December for a total of 19.02 million (+965,000 in Q4), representing a 22.8% increase year-on-year. As of March 31, 2023, 35.3 million premises (apartments, houses, offices, etc.) can be connected via FTTH i.e. a little over 80% of premises in the national territory. If you add cable internet that gives us 37.6 million locals who potentially have access to very high speed on wired networks in France. This represents a growth of approximately 3.6 million over the past year.

96% of Paris is connectable to optical fiber, but it’s only 50% in Lille.  No explanation is given for this slowdown which is not in line with the France Very High Speed ​​Plan which aims to generalize optical fiber throughout France by 2025.

Other high-speed networks (cable, VDSL and fixed wireless/LTE) continued to see their combined installed base decline quarter-on-quarter (-129,000) to stand at 3.25 million. As a result, the number of overall lines delivering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps reached 22.27 million at end-March.

The ADSL segment maintained its downward trend, leading to a further drop in connections delivering less than 30 Mbps. This brought the installed base across all fixed broadband networks to 32.04 million, up by 99,000 since December. This compares to with 63,000 market net additions in the previous quarter and 133,000 in Q1 2022.

Looking at progress in the ongoing fibre roll-outs, French operators brought FTTH connectivity to 840,000 million additional premises in the three months to March, for an overall footprint of 35.29 million. The pace of deployment slowed down from 1.3 million premises passed with fibre in the December quarter, and 1.1 million in Q1 2022.

On a year-on-year basis, the volume of new premises passed with fibre roughly halved across both densely populated metropolitan areas and mid-sized towns with privately funded roll-outs, while recording a 10% fall in public initiative fibre networks under deployment in rural communities. The latter reached a footprint of 12.8 million premises eligible for FTTH services at end-March, representing 610,000 additional premises since December.

Associated documents:

 

References:

https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view/n/fixed-broadband-and-superfast-broadband-market-080623.html

https://www.telecompaper.com/news/ftth-lines-make-up-nearly-60-of-french-fixed-broadband-market-in-q1–1466086

 

The deployment of fiber in France is slowing considerably

STELLAR Broadband offers 10 Gigabit Symmetrical Fiber Internet Access in Hudsonville, Michigan

STELLAR Broadband, a fiber internet and technology service provider, will provide leading edge technologies and Internet connectivity up to 10Gbps to Elmwood Lake Apartments in Hudsonville, Michigan.

Elmwood Lake Apartments is a suburban haven of elevated comfort, where sweet serenity meets desirable convenience. From cozy interiors and relaxing leisure spaces to an idyllic setting next to private Elmwood Lake, the welcoming apartments in Hudsonville, MI, are ready to deliver a heightened living experience.

“With STELLAR Broadband, residents of Elmwood Lake Apartments will enjoy the fastest and most reliable internet service available. STELLAR Broadband’s fiber optic network provides symmetrical speeds of up to 10Gbps so residents can stream, game, and work from home without any lag or buffering,” said Richard Laing, president of STELLAR Broadband.

“Bosgraaf Homes has been building homes in West Michigan for four generations. Over the years, we’ve seen the industry change dramatically thanks to advances in technology. Construction methods have evolved, and the amenities that homeowners expect have grown more sophisticated. We’re grateful for our partnership with STELLAR Broadband, a company that has been at the forefront of the industry for 22 years. Their experience and leadership have helped us make the transition into multi-family housing,” said Mike Bosgraaf, president of Bosgraaf Homes.

The first in the U.S. to bring 10Gbps Internet to the apartment in student housing, STELLAR today serves over 149 communities totaling over 10,000 residents with a wide range of technology solutions, from managed Wi-Fi, TV, and access control to security.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

“DTN is excited to partner with Bosgraaf Homes and STELLAR Broadband to provide Elmwood Lake residents with a unique and enjoyable experience. Bosgraaf is building beautiful homes that will be easy to lease, and STELLAR will provide residents and our office with the best possible internet service,” said Dayle Braden, DTN property manager.

“We’ve seen and have been on the forefront of technology evolving from a desired amenity to a necessity. We are proud to partner with Bosgraaf to provide the high-quality technology that their residents expect and deserve,” Laing stated.

About Spartan Net Co, dba STELLAR Broadband:
STELLAR Broadband is the largest residential fiber internet service provider in Michigan, servicing over 149 communities with multi-Gigabit fiber internet. STELLAR provides technology design and installation services for the full portfolio of technologies for multi-tenant developments, including network design, structured wiring, consulting, door entry and access control, engineered Wi-Fi, security, voice, television services, and various Internet of Things solutions. To learn more, visit: www.stellarbb.com

References:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stellar-broadband-announces-gigabit-fiber-internet-that-goes-one-step-further-for-elmwood-lake-apartments-301831001.html

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stellar-broadband-brings-secure-gigabit-fiber-internet-to-the-bridge-on-the-medical-mile-301800978.html

No Surprise: AT&T tops leaderboard of commercial fiber lit buildings for 7th year!

Once again, AT&T ranked #1 in the U.S. Fiber Lit Buildings Leaderboard fromVertical Systems Group (VSG) for a seventh consecutive year.  The fiber focused U.S. carrier retained the top spot with the highest number of fiber lit buildings across its footprint in 2022.  But there’s a whole lot more AT&T #1 rankings that the carrier has not gotten proper credit for achieving:

–>Please see the images below, courtesy of VSG.

Major mobile operators like AT&T and Verizon are actively installing new fiber for their 5G network backhaul, which facilitates new fiber connectivity to nearby commercial sites.  T-Mobile no longer has any fiber assets from their Sprint acquisition.  They were sold to Cogent along with all other wireline assets in a deal that closed May 1, 2023.

Verizon, Spectrum Enterprise, Lumen, Comcast Business, Cox Business, Zayo, Crown Castle, Frontier, Brightspeed, Breezeline and Optimum followed. Those retail and wholesale fiber providers qualified for the leaderboard with 15,000 or more on-net U.S. fiber lit commercial buildings as of year-end 2022.

  • “Fiber installations at U.S. commercial sites increased in 2022, driven by escalating requirements for gigabit-speed connectivity to support cloud-based services, data centers, 5G rollouts, and other applications,” said Rosemary Cochran, principal of Vertical Systems Group. “New fiber investments in the U.S. will continue to be impacted by pending federal programs and funding initiatives. Opportunities in the commercial segment include monetizing the millions of small buildings underserved.”

U.S. Fiber Lit Buildings LEADERBOARD Highlights:

  • The 2022 LEADERBOARD roster increases to twelve commercial fiber providers, up from eleven in 2021.
  • AT&T retains the #1 rank on the 2022 U.S. Fiber Lit Buildings LEADERBOARD for the seventh consecutive year.
  • Rankings for the top six companies on the 2022 LEADERBOARD are unchanged from 2021, which includes AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum Enterprise, Lumen, Comcast Business, and Cox Business.
  • The next six LEADERBOARD provider rankings change as compared to the previous year. Zayo advances to rank seventh ahead of Crown Castle, which dips to eighth. Frontier moves up to ninth position from tenth. Brightspeed debuts in tenth position with fiber assets acquired from Lumen. Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband) falls to eleventh position from ninth. Optimum (Altice USA brand) drops from eleventh to the twelfth and final position.
  • The number of 2022 Challenge Tier citations expands from eight to nine with the addition of Ritter Communications.

Market Players include all other fiber providers with fewer than 5,000 U.S. commercial fiber lit buildings. The 2022 Market Players tier covers more than two hundred metro, regional and other fiber providers, including the following companies (in alphabetical order): 11:11 Systems, ACD, Alaska Communications, American Telesis, Armstrong Business Solutions, Astound Business, C Spire, Centracom, Cogent, Conterra, DFN, DQE Communications, Everstream, ExteNet Systems, Fatbeam, FiberLight, First Digital, Flo Networks, Fusion Connect, Google Fiber, GTT, Horizon, Hunter Communications, Logix Fiber Networks, LS Networks, Mediacom Business, MetroNet Business, Midco, Pilot Fiber, PS Lightwave, Shentel Business, Silver Star Telecom, Sonic Business, Sparklight Business, Syringa, T-Mobile, TDS Telecom, TPx, U.S. Signal, Vast Networks, WOW!Business, Ziply Fiber and others.

For this analysis, a fiber lit building is defined as a commercial site or data center that has on-net optical fiber connectivity to a network provider’s infrastructure, plus active service termination equipment onsite. Excluded from this analysis are standalone cell towers, small cells not located in fiber lit buildings, near net buildings, buildings classified as coiled at curb or coiled in building, HFC-connected buildings, carrier central offices, residential buildings, and private or dark fiber installations.

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References:

2022 U.S. Fiber Lit Buildings LEADERBOARD

AT&T expands its fiber-optic network amid slowdown in mobile subscriber growth

 

https://www.verticalsystems.com/2023/02/15/2022-u-s-ethernet-leaderboard/

AT&T tops VSG’s U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN Leaderboard for 4th year

VSG LEADERBOARD : AT&T #1 in Fiber Lit Buildings- Year end 2020

2022 U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN LEADERBOARD

 

Shentel joins Frontier and Altice USA with 5-gig broadband service

Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) became the latest wireline network operator to roll out a symmetrical 5 Gbps internet tier, making it available to all 147,000 passings where it currently offers Glo Fiber service.  Over 147,000 homes across VirginiaWest VirginiaMaryland and Pennsylvania will have access to the fastest fiber speeds available in these markets.

The average U.S. household now has approximately 20 connected devices, and that number is expected to continue to grow. In addition, with more consumers working remotely long-term, video conferencing is here to stay. Multi-gig speeds are designed for these growing demands and will provide more bandwidth to run a multitude of connected devices at once.

“Adding 5 Gig internet service to our multi-gig product portfolio allows Glo Fiber to meet the demands of our customers and communities. 5 Gig is a premium residential service designed to connect multiple devices at their fastest possible speeds over a reliable, 100% fiber optic network,” said Ed McKay, Shentel Chief Operating Officer.

As of the end of Q4 2022, Glo Fiber was live in 17 markets across four states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Jeff Manning, Shentel’s VP of Product and Network Strategy, said that by the end of 2023, Glo Fiber and the new 5-gig offering will be available to just under 250,000 passings across 23 markets.

“It feels like the right time to launch,” Manning said. “When you look at the number of devices in homes, the average is well over 20 devices in every home now. So, 5-gig service gives you the capability to ensure every device in the home is fully supported with the capacity it needs.”

The regional network operator already offers 600 Mbps, 1.2 Gbps and 2.4 Gbps service tiers at price points ranging from $65 to $135. The new 5-gig tier will cost $285 per month and require customers to bring their own router.

Manning said the reason it is asking 5-gig customers to bring their own router is because that will enable them to select a device with the level of performance they need. That and there aren’t routers on the market yet which are fully capable of delivering 5 gigs over Wi-Fi. When that changes, he said, Shentel will look at options to package routers with the 5-gig plan.

Image Credit: Shentel

As a leading broadband internet provider in the Mid-Atlantic region, Glo Fiber takes great pride in several key differentiators compared to their competitors:

  • Fiber-to-the-home technology with exceptional reliability
  • Symmetrical download and upload speeds
  • Easy, straight-forward pricing
  • Prompt local customer service
Mark Watkins, Shentel’s VP of Marketing, said in addition to allowing Shentel to “push the needle from an innovation standpoint,” the 5-gig rollout will also improve its competitive position, particularly in areas where it competes with the likes of Frontier Communications and Altice USA. Each offer their own 5-gig symmetrical service.

Frontier has 125,000 fiber passings in West Virginia and recently announced plans to build another 100,000 there this year. It also provides fiber service in parts of Pennsylvania, including near Harrisburg and Lancaster, areas Shentel is eyeing for its expansion.

Altice also offers its Optimum fiber service in parts of Pennsylvania, including the areas west of Carlisle, which are similarly situated in the general area of a market Shentel is targeting. AT&T and Google Fiber offer 5-gig service tiers as well but don’t appear to operate within Shentel’s footprint.  Frontier’s 5-gig service currently runs $164.99 per month while Altice’s costs $180 per month.

Watkins said the majority of Glo Fiber customers today are landing in its 1-gig and 2-gig buckets, though only around 10% fall into the latter. Thus, it’s not expecting huge take rates for the 5-gig product. Instead of mass market appeal, he said it’s designed to cater to select segments of the population with high bandwidth needs.

About Glo Fiber:
Glo Fiber (Glo) provides next-generation fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) multi-gigabit broadband internet access, live streaming TV, and digital home phone service powered by Shentel (Nasdaq: SHEN). Glo provides the fastest available service to residents leveraging XGS-PON, a state-of-the-art technology capable of symmetrical internet speeds up to 10 Gbps.  To learn more about Glo Fiber, please visit www.glofiber.com or 1-800-IWANTGLO (1-877-492-6845).

About Shenandoah Telecommunications:
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel) provides broadband services through its high speed, state-of-the-art fiber-optic and cable networks to customers in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The Company’s services include: broadband internet, video, and voice; fiber optic Ethernet, wavelength and leasing; and tower colocation leasing. The Company owns an extensive regional network with over 8,300 route miles of fiber and over 220 macro cellular towers. For more information, please visit www.shentel.com.

References:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glo-fiber-launches-5-gig-fiber-internet-service-301783914.html

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/shentel-targets-power-users-5-gig-broadband-plan

Shentel plots launch of fiber in 6 greenfield markets in 2023

Frontier Communications offers first network-wide symmetrical 5 Gig fiber internet service

Google Fiber offers 8 Gig symmetric service in Mesa, AZ; Chandler, AZ next in line

Google Fiber is using its service launch in the Westwood neighborhood of Mesa, Arizona, market to also serve as the initial launch point for its new symmetrical 8 Gbit/s broadband service.  Residential customers in Mesa can sign up for Google Fiber’s 8 Gig service for $150 per month. 8 Gig offers symmetrical uploads and downloads of up to 8 Gbps with a wired connection, along with a Wi-Fi 6 router (which allows for up to 800 mbps over Wi-Fi) and up to two mesh extenders.

The 8-Gig tier, now Google Fiber’s fastest, sells for $150 per month and comes with a Wi-Fi 6 router and two Wi-Fi mesh extenders.  There are three other symmetrical broadband service tiers:

  • 1-Gig: $70 per month
  • 2-Gig: $100 per month
  • 5-Gig: $125 per month

Google Fiber’s debut in the Westwood neighborhood of Mesa arrives about eight months after the city council there approved the buildout. Mesa, the first city in Arizona to get service from Google Fiber, is also being served by primary incumbent providers Cox Communications and Lumen.

Amid the revamp of its network expansion strategy, Google Fiber expects to start construction later this year in Chandler, Arizona, Ashley Church, GM for Google Fiber’s west region, said in a blog post.

As announced last fall, Google Fiber is also in the process of launching new 5-Gig and 8-Gig tiers in additional markets in 2023. Its new 5-Gig service is already available in several Google Fiber markets, including Kansas City, West Des Moines, Iowa, and all the cities it provides service to in Utah.

Google Fiber will start construction later this year in Chandler, AZ. As new segments are completed, we’ll offer service in those neighborhoods. Residents who want to keep up on the construction process or service availability in their area can sign up here.  Google Fiber has also conducted lab tests in Kansas City that produced downstream speeds of 20.2 Gbps.

Here’s an updated snapshot of where Google Fiber currently provides or plans to provide via FTTP or fixed-wireless Webpass services:

Table 1:

Market FTTP or Webpass
Atlanta, Georgia FTTP
Austin, Texas FTTP
Chandler, Arizona FTTP
Charlotte, North Carolina FTTP
Chicago, Illinois Webpass
Council Bluffs, Iowa FTTP
Denver, Colorado Webpass
Des Moines, Iowa FTTP
Huntersville, North Carolina FTTP
Huntsville, Alabama FTTP
Idaho FTTP*
Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri FTTP
Lakewood, Colorado FTTP
Miami, Florida Webpass
Nevada FTTP*
Nashville, Tennessee FTTP
Oakland, California Webpass
Omaha, Nebraska FTTP
Orange County, California FTTP
Provo, Utah FTTP
Salt Lake City, Utah FTTP
San Antonio, Texas FTTP
San Diego, California Webpass
San Francisco, California Webpass
Seattle, Washington Webpass
*Google Fiber FTTP deployments coming to cities yet to be announced.
(Source: Google Fiber and Light Reading research)

 

References:

https://fiber.googleblog.com/2023/03/mesa-here-we-come-and-superfast-too.html

https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/fttx/google-fiber-debuts-symmetrical-8-gig-speeds-in-mesa-arizona/d/d-id/784164?

 

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