The UAE has become the first Middle East nation to enter the global league of fibre to the home (FTTH) leaders, according to a report published at the FTTH Middle East Conference in Beirut, Lebanon.
The UAE has a fibre to the home/business (FTTH/B) penetration rate of 30.8 per cent as of the end of September. It represents 96 per cent of FTTH/B subscribers and 76 per cent of all homes connected in the Middle East.
Globally, only Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong have higher FTTH/B penetration rates.
Paradigm shift
According to the report, to be rated for the FTTH Global Ranking, more than 1 per cent of households in the country must subscribe to broadband over a fibre connection directly to their home or building.
The full-year global rankings will be unveiled at the FTTH Conference in Milan in February 2011.
"FTTH has been around within the industry for over 10 years. With the adoption of internet protocol as the delivery medium, FTTH will transform delivery of voice, video and data to homes offering consumers an excellent service — more bandwidth is clearly the goal. Of course FTTH is expensive to install and where there isn't the option to have it, wireless to the home is a clear alternative and customers will pay for additional service and quality," said Leo Psara, Chairman, Minerva.
He said FTTH technology will bring about a paradigm shift in the communication sector, taking it to unprecedented levels. With its high-speed internet offering speeds up to 100mbps (megabits per second), this technology will boost adoption of services like IPTV (internet protocol television), video on demand and others.
The rapid growth in FTTH deployment in the UAE is to some extent the result of large construction projects in the region — FTTH is considered to add value to new housing developments.
Etisalat wants to make Abu Dhabi the first city in the world to be wholly covered by FTTH before year-end. Du has been connecting major new residential areas in the new Dubai areas.
"The Middle East region will achieve two important milestones this year," said Faris Awartani, Chair of the FTTH Council Middle East Group. "The first, of course, is the launch of the FTTH Council Middle East as an independent organisation. The second, is that a Middle East country has entered the FTTH Global Ranking, which shows that fibre to the home is already an important market in this region."
Dynamic leap
"The Emirates is clearly a country apart, thanks to the involvement of both operators — etisalat and du," said Chris Holden, President of the FTTH Council Europe. "Incumbent operators in the Middle East consider FTTH/B as a real differentiator that can help confirm their dynamism on the international scene — and the Emirates will certainly make headlines with such a dynamic leap into the Global Ranking."
"Although FTTH/B in the Middle East is still in its infancy, telecom operators can see the potential," Awartani said in a statement.
(C) Gulf News
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