Market overview and key data:
The significant increase in new subscribers from September 2016 to September 2017 was recorded in Russia, which added 1,826,000 new FTTH/B subscribers. Spain also experienced considerable growth with 1,612,371 new FTTH/B subscribers, along with France, which added 1,067,780 new subscribers.
 
The number of approved households (households connected with FTTH/B) in the EU39 increased dramatically to reach over 148 million, representing a 16% growth compared to September 2016. It should also be noted that adoption in the EU28 [2] reached 32.4%.
 
The new market landscape shows that in the European region, private players (former incumbents and alternative operators) are deploying more FTTx networks (56% of all players) compared to other players, such as public operators and utilities. Another notable trend is the evolution of fiber technologies over the past year, which revealed a predominance of FTTH architecture over FTTB (55% versus 45% in September 2017).
It is also of interest that more alternative operators are deploying FTTH/B, with a contribution of approximately 54% of the total FTTH/B players.
Finally, a distinction is made between the "total number of approved homes," counted once regardless of the number of operators covering them, and the "total number of connections deployed," reflecting the overall effort made by players to deploy their own fiber networks. This market research indicates that with more players investing in their own infrastructure in recent years, it is increasingly common for two or more players to reach the same specific home. France and Spain are leaders in this area. [3]

Commenting on this new data, Ronan Kelly, Chairman of the FTTH Council, stated: “The findings of the Market Panorama study are quite revealing; we are all now looking towards the same goal of a fiber-rich Gigabit society. We obviously congratulate the candidates on their impressive and continued progress towards FTTH/B, but we are also very encouraged by the new trend of operators in countries that typically do not demonstrate a strong appetite for fiber, beginning to engage more intensively in FTTH/B projects. The market structure is also changing with the emergence of new types of stakeholders with innovative business models that foster competition in infrastructure and make new investments.”.

Latvia continues to lead the European FTTH penetration race.
Latvia is a confirmed leader in FTTH/B, defending its ranking for another year with a household penetration rate of 50.6%. Both Sweden (43.4%) and Lithuania (42.6%) remain on the podium, confirming the growth of previous years.
Ireland
joins the Global FTTH Ranking.
This year, Ireland enters the global ranking, achieving a penetration rate of 1.7% and an acceptance rate of 9.6%.
In September 2017, compared to September 2016, Ireland increased its FTTH/B subscriber base by 73% (29,446 subscribers) and its FTTH/B Homes Passed presence by 254% (306,285 homes passed).
The Irish government has played a pivotal role in expanding super-fast broadband networks across Ireland, though the need to adjust the tools used to promote deployment has recently emerged. Ireland launched a National Broadband Plan in 2012 with the aim of increasing connectivity in rural areas, providing high-speed internet services to at least 30% of premises, and delivering universal broadband speeds of 30 Mbps by the end of 2022. During 2017, two of the leading bidders withdrew from the process, citing challenges with the plan's economics.
Despite this, Eir, the previous incumbent operator, and SIRO, the joint venture between Vodafone and the electricity company ESB, continue their fiber access network deployments nationwide and remain the most active investors in FTTH/B in Ireland, followed by Magnet Networks, Digiweb, and Enet.
 
 

Spain, host country of the FTTH Conference 2018.
"The selection of Spain as the host country for the FTTH Conference 2018 is also highly symbolic," explained Erzsébet Fitori, Director General of the FTTH Council Europe. "We were eager to recognize Spain's pivotal role as a major success story in promoting high-capacity connectivity, fiber deployment, and infrastructure competition." With approximately 17.5 million homes approved for FTTH/B and 6 million subscribers as of September 2017, Spain ranks highly globally with a penetration rate of 33.9%. "The Spanish government's fiber policy and regulatory agenda, aligned with the Digital Agenda for Europe, and the ongoing work of the CNMC, the Spanish telecommunications regulator, have played a significant role in Spain's success story," continued Erzsébet Fitori.

The global and European FTTH rankings as of the end of September 2017 are available here.
The full Market Panorama presentation is available under embargo here.