2025 North American FTTH Deployment and Market Update
The study finds that 2025 set a new record year for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment in North America, with U.S. fiber now passing more than 60% of primary households and total FTTH passings approaching 100 million homes. Canada has also reached a major milestone, with fibre now available to nearly 75% of homes. Take rates continue to climb, averaging roughly mid-40% based on unique passings, even as the industry sustains heavy build activity.
Competitive dynamics are shifting as more markets see second and even third fiber passings. Non-Tier 1 providers now account for about 40% of cumulative FTTH, up from just 12% in 2007, and markets with two fiber providers show combined take rates of roughly 60% or more. At the same time, fiber is clearly winning where it is available, with higher download and upload speeds, better net promoter scores, and strong consumer preference versus cable, fixed wireless, and other technologies. The report projects that fiber could become the leading fixed-internet delivery method as early as 2028.
Looking ahead, demand drivers such as AI, always-on video, and sensor-rich applications are expected to increase household upload requirements by 2–10× over the next 5–10 years, reinforcing fiber’s performance advantage. The addressable market for additional fiber build remains large, with more than 100 million potential incremental passings across income and density segments, and significant new opportunities in data centers, edge interconnect, grids, vehicles, and fiber-as-a-sensor use cases. The study concludes that even as FTTH matures, adjacent “fiber-to-X” markets and the AI/data-center buildout will keep fiber a foundational growth industry for years to come.
FAQ’s
1. How much of North America is currently served by FTTH?
In the U.S., fiber now passes over 60% of primary households, with nearly 100 million total FTTH passings when redundant builds are included. In Canada, fibre service is available to nearly 75% of homes.
2. Are take rates holding up as more fiber is built?
Yes. Average FTTH take rates are in the mid-40% range based on unique passings (around 40% when redundant passings are included), and they continue to trend upward despite aggressive new construction. Markets with two fiber providers reach combined take rates of roughly 60% or more.
3. Who is driving the new fiber builds: large incumbents or smaller players?
Both. Tier 1 incumbents still account for the largest share of passings, but non-Tier 1 providers (regional telcos, electric co-ops, municipalities, competitive challengers, etc.) have grown from 12% of cumulative FTTH in 2007 to about 40% today, making them a major force in expansion.
4. How will AI and emerging applications affect broadband requirements?
The report notes that AI and data-intensive applications (e.g., security cameras, telehealth, diagnostic video, and sensor networks) will significantly increase continuous and upstream traffic. Expert estimates cited in the study suggest average household upload needs could rise by 2–10× over the next 5–10 years, favoring symmetrical, low-latency fiber networks.
5. Is there still room for growth once most homes have fiber available?
Yes. The study estimates a very large remaining addressable market for both first and second passings—well over 100 million additional potential fiber passings in the U.S. alone—and highlights multiple growth vectors beyond FTTH, including fiber-to-data-centers, towers, grids, rooms, vehicles, and quantum/AI interconnect. These segments are expected to extend strong industry growth well beyond the current residential FTTH boom.