Undoubtedly, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology has brought to American households much faster Internet connection speeds, for both downloading and uploading, than what is currently provided to subscribers of cable modem and DSL services.

To document exactly how much more bandwidth they receive, we executed an extensive survey.* The median tested download speed from FTTH users was 10.4 Mbps, a rate that was 51% higher than those reported by cable modem users and 593% higher than DSL users. Meanwhile, the median tested upload speed from FTTH users was 2.4 Mbps, which was 380% higher than upload speeds reported by cable modem users and 500% higher than for DSL users.

What does that mean? Simply stated, the tested download FTTH speeds have more than doubled over the past 3 years. As you can imagine, consumers rate high their satisfaction with FTTH services. In fact, 49% of subscribers say that their FTTH service would be the “last thing” they would give up if economic conditions forced them to reduce their household expenditures. This compared to only 11% who said it would be one of the first things they would give up.

Interestingly, survey respondents said the installation process was relatively painless. Satisfaction was about the same for all services (fiber, DSL, and cable), with 64% of FTTH users saying they were very satisfied with service installation compared to 65% of cable modem users and 57% of DSL users. This is notable given some advertising claims that consumers have not been satisfied with FTTH installations.

Getting Hungrier
Respondents of this survey were asked to perform a real-time test and record their download and upload Internet speeds by visiting www.speakeasy.net.

They were then asked to connect to the server city closest to their own location. Based on this methodology, the current average FTTH speeds are now 12.2 Mbps down and 4.0 Mbps up. (The corresponding median speeds are 10.4 Mbps down and 2.4 up. (See Figure 1.)

    Figure 1.
     RVA LLC 2009

It should be noted that Internet speeds are governed by the capacity of the local system as well as the service package chosen by the consumer. (Speed can also be limited, in some degree, by the Internet itself.) In other words, the actual capacity of most FTTH systems is far beyond any tested speeds. Still, it’s notable that FTTH download speeds have increased 134% over the 2 years that this annual survey has been conducted, while upload speeds have increased 263%.

Ravenous for HD
Given this information, it’s relevant to look at the number of HD devices deployed in FTTH-enabled homes. This is important because those devices can consume a great deal of bandwidth when content is sent via IP signal (IPTV). The findings revealed the average number of HD devices (televisions and recorders) is now nearly 2 per FTTH household.

The bandwidth required via IPTV to support these devices if they were all being used simultaneously and are tuned to unique channels has grown to 15.4 Mbps. (This assumes a high signal compression down to about 8 Mbps per unique signal. Some compression systems would require even more bandwidth. And, picture quality is degraded by excessive compression.) When the average Internet access download speed is added to the average bandwidth needed for HDTV in an IPTV environment, the 2009 average peak load per FTTH home reaches 27.6 Mbps.

Peak load per household has been forecast by RVA to continue growing, calling into question how much longer lower bandwidth broadband solutions will be able to keep up with the bandwidth required by average consumers. FTTH is capable of many orders of magnitude in higher bandwidth speeds. In the process of the study, a few details about the characteristics of FTTH deployments were collected from users themselves. Some FTTH users (nearly 30%) also reported that having FTTH in their home prompted them to purchase some electronic devices in order to enhance their experience. (See Figure 2.) This was especially the case with high-definition television sets.

   Figure 2.
     RVA LLC 2009

Most FTTH users reside in single family homes that they own. Within the home, most Internet is transferred by hard wire cable, followed closely by wireless. Television is served primarily by CATV cable within the home. (See Figure 3.)

    Figure 3.
     RVA LLC 2009

What does all of this mean for the bandwidth required to satisfy the needs of these consumers in the future? You don’t need a survey to know the answer to that question.

 About the Author
Mike Render is President of RVA LLC. He has more than 30 years of experience in Market Research. For more information, email Info@rvallc.com or visit www.RVALLC.com.

Source: “A Study of U.S. FTTH and Broadband Consumers for the FTTH Council, July 2009.” FTTH Performance and Subscriber Satisfaction Report. For more information, visit the FTTH Council website at www.ftthcouncil.org.

*Methodology: In April/May 2009, RVA LLC conducted surveys of broadband subscribers for the purpose of comparing consumer usage patterns and attitudes among and between fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscribers and those who receive their broadband access services over other technologies. The first survey included more than 600 FTTH subscribers who were drawn from a national online panel of more than 50,000 consumers. Consumers were asked questions about type of Internet used, and those who noted that they have direct fiber connections were given a much longer follow-up survey that included a series of perceptual questions. These FTTH respondents were also asked to test and report their current Internet speeds (via www.speakeasy.net/speedtest).

A second survey was conducted among an online panel - exclusive of FTTH and dial-up users. This comparative sample, representing more than 600 DSL and cable modem, as well as other non-FTTH, broadband users, were asked questions similar to those in the fiber study. Similar studies have been conducted among FTTH users for 3 years, providing data and timelines for review and comparison of longer term trends.

The results and findings of the study are published in 3 documents: “FTTH Impact on Work from Home,” “FTTH Marketing” and this volume, “FTTH Performance and Satisfaction.”  

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