A race for FTTH. (Short Takes).

Although fiber to the home (FTTH) is making great strides in high-speed broadband access to the Internet in some parts of the world, by comparison the United States lags behind in the deployment of FTTH systems. That's the recent finding of the high-tech market research firm, In-Stat/MDR.

The company reported that countries such as Korea, Sweden, Japan and Italy have moved ahead of the United States when it comes to FITH residential deployments, primarily due to the strong encouragement of the telecommunications ministries in those countries.

"FTTH is beginning to make significant strides in high-speed broadband access to the Internet, although still a distant fourth to DSL (digital subscriber line), cable modem and fixed wireless broadband service," said Melissa Phillips, an analyst with the research ( firm. "Many wonder whether FTTH is merely hype or if it is going to be a reality in more than just greenfield developments." Other In-Stat/MDR findings:

* The FTTH subscriber forecast shows a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49.6% from 2003 to 2007.

* In the United States, FTTH makes up less than 1% of the total broadband subscriber market.

* North America has roughly 50,000 FTTH subscribers, while AsiaPacific and Europe have 390,000 subscribers.

* The cost of deploying fiber will continue to decrease in the next five years, as will monthly charges for subscribers. Currently, subscribers pay $130/month for high-speed voice, video and data access over fiber. That will drop to $100 for the package, the same as what customers currently are paying for high-speed Internet access, voice and video.

Additional information about the report, "Fiber at the Speed of Light: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You," is available at www.instat.com/catalog/cat-ia.htm.

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