Fiber broadband is now by far the most common means of fixed broadband connectivity worldwide, although the picture varies from region to region.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, at the end of September 2024, around 72% of fixed broadband subscriptions globally used fiber for the last-mile connection via fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) technologies.
Cable broadband and DSL are the next most popular options globally, but they trail well behind, with shares of 13% and 10%, respectively. The remainder of the market is rounded out with fixed wireless access (FWA) services and other technologies, such as satellite.
Fiber Leads the Way
Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (Sep 2024)
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At the end of 2020, fiber accounted for a 60% share, and five years before that—at the end of 2015—fiber connections represented only around 34% of the overall market, trailing DSL with its share of 39%. Fiber went on to overtake DSL for the market lead in 2016.
Fiber Strongholds in Asia
The region with the highest penetration of fiber broadband subscriptions is Asia, where FTTH and FTTB account for more than 90% of all fixed broadband lines.
This is mainly due to the widespread use of fiber for last-mile access in China, the largest fixed broadband market in the world by some margin. Indeed, its Q3 2024 subscription total of 670 million was higher than the total for the next 20 largest countries combined.
China has the largest fixed broadband market in the world by some margin. Its Q3 2024 subscription total of 670 million was higher than the total for the next 20 largest countries combined.
Fiber access is incredibly popular in China, and the three main fixed broadband providers—China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom—have all deployed extensive networks. As a result, there were an estimated 637 million FTTx subscriptions in China at the end of September 2024, or around 95% of the overall sector.
Goodbye, DSL
Fixed Broadband Technology Splits, 2009-2024
Asia’s next largest fixed broadband market is Japan, with 55 million subscriptions, including almost 41 million via fiber. India, too, has a high proportion of fiber users, accounting for more than 39 million of its 45 million fixed broadband subscriptions.
Other Regions
Latin America has seen a strong take-up of fiber broadband services over the past few years.
At the end of 2014, the technology only accounted for around 5% of all subscriptions across the region. This figure rose to 24% five years later. By September 2024, 69% of all fixed broadband subscriptions in Latin America were via fiber, a much quicker growth rate than in any other region.
The largest single market in the region is Brazil, with 39 million fiber subscriptions from a fixed broadband total of 51 million as of September 2024. Mexico takes second place, with 23 million fiber-connected households from an overall country broadband total of 28 million.
In Africa, only around 23% of fixed broadband customers use fiber, while DSL and fixed wireless are more widely used.
In the U.S. and Canada, fiber loses out to cable broadband. However, cable's share—57% at the end of September 2024—is steadily eroding as fiber take-up increases. Fiber accounted for 28% of subscriptions at the same date, having doubled its share of the market since 2018.
In 2022, fiber took over from DSL as the main form of fixed broadband connectivity in Europe. By Q3 2024, fiber claimed 51% of the sector, DSL had 29%, and cable broadband accounted for 16%.
Pete Bell
Pete Bell is a Senior Analyst for TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database and also contributes to the daily CommsUpdate newsletter. He has a particular interest in wireless broadband and was responsible for TeleGeography’s 4G Research Service until it was integrated into GlobalComms.
