Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Technology on the Rise in the MENA Region

Mobilk - The Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council MENA has announced the launch of a new research on the FTTH market in the MENA region at their upcoming 6th annual conference, which will be held under the patronage of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) on 24 – 25 November 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Center. The study, coordinated by the Council’s research Partner – IDATE, is set to reveal the latest findings on the state of FTTH in the region. 

 “With the rise in development of MENA region’s ICT sector, FTTH is leading the new generation and the way to innovation and technology. In this era of change, our region is in great need for a future-proof infrastructure in order to answer the requirements of the new emerging perspectives,” said Dr. Suleiman Al Hedaithy, Chairman at FTTH Council MENA. “The next biggest challenge for developers would be to deliver 1GBPS internet speed to every household along with maintaining commercial success,” he added.

According to the preliminary findings from IDATE, the UAE is by far the most mature market for Fiber to the Home technology in the MENA region, with a penetration of Subs/HP of more than 65 percent, penetration rates that are probably the highest worldwide.

The study also found that Saudi Arabia has strong potential to develop FTTH technology, with a current FTTH/B penetration of around 30 percent. Currently, KSA is making progress, with STC and Mobily having decided to deploy FTTH extensively around the country. 

Qatar, where FTTH/B penetration rate is currently at over 55% percent, has also made great progress in covering most of the country’s territory, with a very fast adoption by the leading operator, Ooredoo.

In the North African countries, FTTH/B is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, there is a strong potential for this technology to develop in countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Algeria in the next 10 years to come.