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A new report from leading broadband analyst firm Point Topic predicts that global gigabit broadband subscriptions could reach 100 million by 2020, with the majority of that growth coming from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The report highlights the increasing demand for ultra-fast connections and identifies G.fast as a key technology driving this expansion.
G.fast delivers gigabit-class speeds over short copper loops and is evolving rapidly. While its highest speeds are distance-dependent, G.fast is already capable of meeting most service requirements for operators today, and ongoing development is improving both performance and reach.
Point Topic’s CEO, Oliver Johnson, told attendees at this year’s Broadband Forum that G.fast is an important option for operators that still rely on copper in the last mile. “G.fast clearly works best economically in a mature market with copper in the local loop,” he said. “I expect most of today’s leading markets will have some G.fast in the next five years, and some will see coverage approaching 50% of the market.”
Industry trials are already under way: major operators such as BT in the UK have tested G.fast in field trials. Kevin Forster, chairman of the Broadband Forum, has warned that many of the advanced services showcased at events like CES will only become widespread if operators accelerate G.fast deployment.
At present there are fewer than ten million gigabit subscriptions worldwide, but Point Topic forecasts rapid growth as more gigabit tariffs appear and service prices fall. The economics of G.fast make it an attractive interim upgrade for operators balancing investment costs and operational expenses while evaluating the case for full fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) rollouts.
Johnson noted a remaining question around how long G.fast can compete against end-to-end fiber, particularly in terms of ongoing OPEX versus the CAPEX needed to deploy fiber widely. “A lot of that depends on the next step of actually delivering it in the real mass market world,” he said. “If it’s quick, clean, meets global standards and certifications such as those proposed by the Broadband Forum, and continues to offer significant NFV/SDN and vectoring improvements then it will be strong tomorrow as well as today.”
Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum, urged operators to consider G.fast for their copper access networks and to adopt Broadband Forum standards and certifications. He highlighted newly developed YANG management models for FTTdp equipment and the interoperability testing program for G.fast devices as practical tools for accelerating deployments while ensuring consistent performance and vendor interoperability.
Mersh echoed the message that upgrading access infrastructure is essential to support growing consumer demand for next-generation services. “The growing trend of gigabit services points to the fact that more and more people want to use next-generation services like 4K video, location-based services, security, home automation, video sharing, gaming and home office collaboration,” he said.
He added that G.fast offers a realistic path for operators with existing copper networks to enable these services quickly, and Broadband Forum programs and specifications can help them realize G.fast’s potential efficiently and reliably.
Do you think it’s time for operators to deploy G.fast? Share your thoughts in the comments.