21285 - SCTE Broadband Dec2021 COMPLETE v1

64 Vol. 43 No. 4 - November 2021 Issue The number of high-speed fibre-optic broadband connections in Europe is expected to increase 67% over the next five years as explosive growth and demand challenge service providers to keep up. By CommScope Newest generation of hardened connectivity propels FTTH rollouts in Europe products High-speed fibre will pass 197 million homes in the European Union and Britain by 2026, up from 118 million in 2021, according to a report from IDATE and FTTH Council Europe. France, Germany and Britain are among countries expected to experience significant growth in the number of homes passed in 2026 compared to 2021. With demand at its peak, altnets and other licensed operators have an excellent opportunity to deliver direct home connections. The broadband market is ripe for them to provide an alternative to traditional service providers—particularly in rural areas and other underserved communities. Fierce fight for talent The FTTH surge is being compounded by a shortage of skilled labour across Europe. The workforce can’t build out fibre networks fast enough and isn’t able to hit the ground running to meet demand. Experienced technicians are difficult to find and expensive to train—making it difficult for service providers to meet their deployment goals. Specialised technicians work on different parts of the network and often don’t have the skills needed to install, repair and maintain a network holistically. The last mile is particularly complicated, with multiple variations that include spliced, connectorised and hardened drops. With few technicians available and a trend toward a younger demographic, the opportunity to simplify fibre connectivity has never been greater. Plug-and-play hardened connectivity, which has been around for several decades, has helped alleviate some of the pain points around FTTH deployments. It’s not enough to meet staggering demand and time-to-market expectations, however. The industry must evolve beyond conventional and dated approaches or face new and unrelenting connectivity challenges. Evolve quickly and empower the workforce of tomorrow To support the relentless need for connectivity, CommScope is committed to simplifying and speeding deployments— increasing network density and overcoming complexity in every connection, from one end to the other. The new Prodigy™ small-form hardened connector system for fibre terminals and cable assemblies has been specially designed to be universally compatible with multiple hardened fibre connectors— simplifying ordering, installation and maintenance. S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T