Broadband CPE market continues shift to FTTH

CALIFORNIA, INDIA: The worldwide broadband CPE market, including DSL, cable, and FTTH equipment, hit $5.2 billion in 2010, and is forecast to top $6.0 billion in 2015, finds market research firm Infonetics Research.

In its latest report the analyst firm also finds that for the quarter, the broadband CPE market was more or less flat in 4Q10 at $1.4 billion, following two consecutive quarters of growth of about 10 per cent; unit shipments were up five per cent.

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"The broadband CPE market is much more dynamic now, with FTTH CPE coming on strong in many regions of the world, particularly Japan, China, and North America, where new FTTH broadband subscribers are being added at a fast clip. We expect this trend to continue, with DSL subscribers and equipment slowing as FTTH rises," foresees Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access at Infonetics Research.

The number of broadband FTTH subscribers grew 30 per cent in 2010 to 40 million worldwide.

Bright spots in the DSL CPE market: VDSL gateways and IADs, which saw the biggest increase in 2010, as AT&T, Belgacom, KPN, and other operators invested in higher-end devices for their triple-play service offerings

Bright spot in the broadband cable CPE market: Wideband (DOCSIS 3.0) EMTAs, as Comcast and other major MSOs are now taking consistent shipments to turn up new premium subscribers; wideband EMTA unit shipments jumped 342% in 2010 and more than doubled quarter-over-quarter in 4Q10

Leadership in the worldwide broadband CPE market is an extremely tight three-way horse race, with Huawei ranked first by a slim margin in 4Q10, followed by Technicolor and Pace.

Despite its lower-priced broadband equipment, Huawei has taken the lead in overall revenue mainly because of the very large volume it ships into China, the Middle East, and Latin America.