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December 2025 Edition
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- News from our members
- Telecom Digest:
- UK's Fibre Transition Triggers Regulatory Shift: Ofcom Ramps Up Competition Oversight
- Arcep Launches Consultation to Uphold Successful Symmetric FTTH Regulation Amid €50 Billion Investment
- Finland Secures €4,67M in EU Funding to Boost Cross-Border Fibre and Quantum-Safe Networks
- Sweden's PTS Allocates SEK 744M in 2025 Broadband Subsidy, Connecting 9.228 Premises
- Iceland Telecom Sector Grows 2% Amidst Fibre Boom; Fjarskiptastofa Data Shows xDSL Collapse
- OECD: Fibre Doubles Share, 5G Hits 37%, Driving 4.5X Surge in Gigabit Subscriptions (2019–2024)
- Next events from the FTTH Council Europe
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NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
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Netomnia: The Modern Method: Installing Fiber with Air, Not Muscle
Netomnia’s collaboration with Fibre Café shows how Full Fibre can transform communities. By combining our network with local support, we’re helping residents gain confidence online and access new opportunities. Explore the full story in our latest case study. Click here to learn more.
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Openfibre: Fiber optics safeguards the memory of our audiovisual heritage
Fiber optics is the new safeguard of our audiovisual memory: fast, reliable, and essential to preserve the stories, voices, and images that shape our culture. Discover how next-gen networks protect our digital heritage: learn more on the Open Fiber website.
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Setics: FTTH Brownfield: Challenges, Complexities & a Real Case Study
Deploying Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) in existing infrastructure (brownfield) demands unmatched precision. Using advanced data-driven software is crucial for optimizing network designs, overcoming deployment challenges, and ensuring cost-effective, successful regional rollouts. Click here to learn more.
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STL: The Future Will Be Written in Light: Fiber as the Backbone of the AI Economy
AI is transforming everything from language models to autonomous vehicles, with model growth outpacing Moore’s Law. Behind this revolution lies a hidden enabler: fiber optic networks that move the vast data powering it all. Learn more on STL website.
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VC4: FTTH Networks Need Accurate, Unified Data Before AI Can Deliver Value
FTTH growth has been led by physical expansion and service demand. The question is no longer how fast networks are expanding but how accurate the model of the network truly is. Complete, accurate data with real network conditions, is the foundation. Once in place, AI becomes the tool for planning, monitoring, troubleshooting, and customer assurance. Click here to learn more.
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Aprecomm: Report Release: The Future of the Connected Home
A new report, The Future of the Connected Home, is now available. Authored by Omdia, commissioned by the Broadband Forum, and sponsored by Aprecomm and other companies, it draws on a survey of broadband providers to highlight key trends shaping connected living. The report is free to download. Click here to learn more.
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Emtelle: Closing Europe’s connectivity gap: Building Affordable Last-Mile Fibre Networks
Europe is undergoing a huge digital infrastructure transformation. Billions are being invested to modernise networks. Yet the real test of digital inclusion lies not in how much fibre is deployed, but how effectively it reaches every home and business. Colin Kirkpatrick, Solutions Director at Emtelle, discusses how this can be addressed. Click here to learn more.
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Genexis: Where is UK fiber broadband headed?
UK fiber broadband is shifting from network build-outs to delivering real value: connecting homes, enhancing user experience, and enabling multi-gigabit performance with XGS-PON and Wi-Fi 7. Explore what this evolution means for ISPs and consumers in our blog. Click here to learn more.
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Icotera: How to use EPDs in responsible purchasing and reporting
Sustainability starts with the right data. Using Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for responsible purchasing means using verified environmental data to make informed, transparent, and sustainable choices when selecting products or materials, considering the impacts in the full product life cycle. Click here to learn more.
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Incognito Software Systems: Beyond Speed: How Telcos Are Redefining Broadband Value | New Industry Report
With speed no longer a differentiator, the Future of the Connected Home report—sponsored by Incognito Software Systems-highlights how telcos are using advanced Wi-Fi, AI, and TR-369 USP to grow revenue and elevate user experiences. Get the latest insights on the technologies, strategies, and standards driving the next wave of broadband innovation. Click here to learn more.
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UK's Fibre Transition Triggers Regulatory Shift: Ofcom Ramps Up Competition Oversight
The UK's shift to full-fibre broadband is accelerating, driving market growth and prompting regulatory adjustment, as full-fibre (FTTP) lines reached 11,56 million in Q3 2025, surpassing older copper-based FTTC connections (10,60 million) for the first time, contributing to a total of 28,94 million connections. This milestone, fueled by Openreach and alternative networks, has led the regulator, Ofcom, to propose expanding the competitive Leased Line Access (LLA) Area 2 to potentially cover up to 50% of postcode areas, significantly up from the previous 32% proposal. This change in the ongoing Telecoms Access Review (TAR) for 2026-2031, which also includes technical adjustments to cost modelling for LLA, PIA, and Inter-exchange Connectivity (IEC), aims to better integrate the competitive impact of Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) and ensure charge controls accurately reflect the quickly evolving, fibre-dominant market landscape.
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Arcep Launches Consultation to Uphold Successful Symmetric FTTH Regulation Amid €50 Billion Investment
The French telecom regulator, Arcep, is actively seeking to maintain its successful principle of symmetric regulation in the Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) wholesale market, a framework established in 2009. This move is strongly supported by a comprehensive study from consulting firm Plum, which validated the framework's success in driving efficient investment, widespread fibre deployment, and robust competition, aligning positively with the EU's Digital Decade strategy. The study concluded that the current model, which requires all market players to offer passive fibre local loops for resale while applying asymmetric rules to incumbent Orange’s civil engineering, has already stimulated nearly €50 billion in total FTTH investment. Arcep launched a public consultation following the findings to officially assess the framework for the European Commission, reinforcing its belief that retaining the current symmetric rules is essential, as Plum's analysis warned that significant alteration would likely lead to negative impacts on both coverage and affordability.
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Finland Secures €4,67M in EU Funding to Boost Cross-Border Fibre and Quantum-Safe Networks
Finnish-coordinated digital infrastructure initiatives have secured €4,67 million from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), alongside additional funding for a Swedish submarine cable project partially located in Finland. The grants will significantly boost cross-border connectivity and technological advancement. DNA received €1,62 million to improve the terrestrial backbone connection with Sweden, while Elisa secured €1,15 million for expanding fiber-optic networks in Northern Finland, linking to Sweden and Norway. Furthermore, a major allocation of an estimated €1,49 million supports a Finnish-Estonian-Swedish consortium focused on implementing cutting-edge quantum-safe cryptographic key transmission. The funding round underscores Finland's commitment to advancing its digital networks and participating in wider European projects, including the 5G corridor extending from Scandinavia to Germany, for which Telia received approximately €344.000.
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Sweden's PTS Allocates SEK 744M (€67,9 million approx.) in 2025 Broadband Subsidy, Connecting 9,228 Premises
The Swedish Post and Telecommunications Authority (PTS) has announced a significant boost to the national digital infrastructure by allocating SEK 744 million (€67,9 million approx.) in the 2025 broadband subsidy round. This crucial public investment is set to extend high-speed connectivity to 9.228 premises, encompassing permanent homes, businesses, and holiday properties that currently suffer from poor broadband access. The funding, distributed across 182 successful projects out of 273 applications, underscores Sweden's commitment to bridging the digital divide and realizing its goal of a fully connected society, with infrastructure deployment authorized to begin on December 1st, 2025.
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Iceland Telecom Sector Grows 2% Amidst Fibre Boom; Fjarskiptastofa Data Shows xDSL Collapse
Iceland's telecommunications sector saw consistent growth in the first half of 2025, according to the regulator Fjarskiptastofa, with both mobile and fixed broadband subscriptions rising by approximately 2% year-on-year. The data reveals a dramatic shift in fixed connectivity, as xDSL subscriptions plummeted by nearly 42%, while fibre subscriptions surged by 6,3% , now dominating the market with 140.861 lines. Total mobile subscriptions reached 559.491, fueling a 5,6% rise in mobile data traffic to over 90.000 TB. Market share adjustments were noted, with Siminn remaining the largest provider in both segments despite a slight dip in fixed broadband share.
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OECD: Fibre Doubles Share, 5G Hits 37%, Driving 4.5X Surge in Gigabit Subscriptions (2019–2024)
The OECD reports a significant digital shift across member nations between 2019 and 2024, characterized by the growing maturity of fibre and 5G networks, driven by ambitious investment and regulatory support. Fibre-optic technology has become the dominant fixed broadband choice, nearly doubling its share from 28% to 47% and driving a 4,5-fold increase in gigabit-speed subscriptions, which now account for 19% of the market. Simultaneously, mobile services saw strong growth, with 5G subscriptions reaching 37% of the total, leading to a massive 2,5-fold increase in monthly mobile data consumption, now averaging 15 GB per user. This five-year period also saw Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) triple its market share, confirming the successful deployment of next-generation connectivity across developed economies.
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NEXT EVENTS
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REGISTRATIONS ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN for the most important event in European fibre optics: the FTTH Conference 2026! Join over 3,000 industry leaders and decision-makers from April 14-16 at the ExCeL London, UK, to immerse yourself in strategic discussions, cutting-edge innovation, and unparalleled high-level networking. This flagship three-day event is your unmatched opportunity to connect with the entire Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) value chain, advance your business goals, and gain profound knowledge of the trends defining Europe's fibre future. Don't miss out on securing your place at this essential industry gathering-register now to confirm your participation and subscribe to receive immediate updates!
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Join industry leaders Christopher Kelly (CityFibre) and Dave Watts (EXFO) on December 11, 2025, at 2 pm CET for the essential webinar, "4x Speed, Zero Compromise," which unveils the new standard for Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment quality. Designed for Alt-Nets, this session provides a strategic blueprint on how CityFibre and EXFO successfully leveraged cloud-based automation to redefine efficiency and quality assurance at scale. Attendees will learn key strategies, including how to reduce network validation time by 4x (cutting weeks down to days), streamline operational workflows for massive productivity gains, and use centralized data to mitigate deployment risk and eliminate costly rework, ensuring faster, first-time-right fibre deployments. Register now to secure your strategic advantage!
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About Us
The FTTH Council Europe is an industry organisation with a mission to advance ubiquitous full fibre-based connectivity to the whole of Europe.
Our vision is that fibre connectivity will transform and enhance the way we live, do business and interact, connecting everyone and everything, everywhere. Fibre is the future-proof, climate-friendly infrastructure which is a crucial prerequisite for safeguarding Europe’s global competitiveness while playing a leading global role in sustainability.
The FTTH Council Europe consists of more than 170 member companies.
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