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Annual FBA Latin America Research Measures Expansion, Expands Measurement

In January, the Fiber Broadband Association – LATAM Chapter released its annual “Panorama FTTH LATAM” market report. Published since 2013, the study conducted by consulting company SmC+ focused on the Latin America market, analyzing fiber deployment in the region, challenges, impacts, trends, and projections for the coming years. 

The 2023 report comes with a different look and new analysis of industry factors. “We are deepening the regional knowledge about the FTTH momentum the region is living nowadays,” said Sebastian Cabello, CEO of SmC+ Digital Public Affairs. “For this new 2023 edition, we added a couple of new indicators like number of sockets, network overlap, and competition levels that reflect different aspects of the growth we are seeing, that is reflected not only in coverage but also in quality levels.”  

Fiber to the home services passed 114 million households in Latin America with a total of 57 million FTTH subscribers in 2022 (51% of total broadband subscribers), at a rate of 22% year-over-year subscriber growth. Over 111 million households had a broadband subscription in Latin America while there are 69 million without any connectivity, making up 38% of total households in the region. Expansions in data traffic demand and government initiatives to close the digital divide are expected to drive growth of 20% annually over the next five years. As a result, FTTH is expected to make up 69% of all broadband subscriptions by 2027. 

“The Fiber Broadband Association is extremely encouraged by the results of this Latin America study, as the strong growth of fiber broadband deployment and adoption will elevate the quality of life in the LATAM region for generations to come,” said Gary Bolton, President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association.

Among the countries with the strongest growth are Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, and Argentina. Data used to build the Panorama FTTH LATAM was collected from the main vendors in the region and from the regulatory agencies of the 18 countries that make up the region. Over the next five years FTTH and FTTB coverage combined is expected to grow from 62% to 77%, with FTTH/FTTB take rates going up from 50% to 66%. As deployments continue, users in urban areas are expected to have increased competition through multiple fiber choices available in the marketplace. 

The report also recognizes continued challenges and barriers to new service offerings even as growth continues. Challenges for service providers include sustainability, supply chain bottlenecks, expanding coverage to rural areas, and vandalism. Obstacles to deployment include a lack of qualified staff, existing and in-deployment 4G and 5G networks, economic uncertainty and ROI, and a desire by incumbent service providers to maximize their investment in legacy technologies. 

“The LATAM Panorama is recognized as a key tool to reflect the growth of the sector and understand barriers and opportunities around the Latin American industry,” stated Nelson Saito, president of the Fiber Broadband Association LATAM Chapter. An executive summary of the report is available on the FBA website at www.fiberbroadband.org, while the full report is available exclusively to members of the Fiber Broadband Association.