Key Takeaways from FTTH Conference 2025: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

The FTTH Conference 2025 brought together industry leaders from across Europe to discuss the latest developments and challenges in fiber to the home (FTTH) technology. From rollout progress and adoption rates to the emergence of new solutions such as fiber to the room (FTTR) and AI/ML applications, the event offered plenty of insights, with some room left for further exploration. Let’s discuss the key themes and takeaways.

The gap between FTTH rollout and adoption

While FTTH rollout across Europe has been progressing steadily, one of the key concerns raised at the conference was the widening gap between homes passed and the number of FTTH subscribers, resulting in a small take-up rate, which for EU39 is only 53.05 %. Simply put, this gap means is difficult to translate FTTH investments into a revenue-generating subscriber base.

One of the solutions proposed to address this issue is employing an effective O2C (Order-to-Cash) system, which can automatically translate customer intents (the need for exiting services) into a technical orchestration process with precise information both for installation tasks and service activations. This process must guarantee a perfect customer experience, as failed installations may risk turning potential subscribers away without giving the operator a second chance.

FTTH in rural areas and alternative technologies

Discussions on rural FTTH coverage sparked some debate at the conference. While the average FTTH/B coverage rate for EU27+UK is 69%, rural areas lag slightly behind at 64%. Whether it is a lot or not is up to individual assessment, but the question arises: does it make sense to deploy FTTH to all rural households instead of employing other technologies such as mobile and LEO satellite access?

A discussion panel touched on this dilemma, with proponents speaking in favor of FTTH for its lower long-term maintenance costs. But the context for this answer was subsidized deployment. If the operator needed to cover both deployment and maintenance costs, the answer may have been different. FTTH is the least expensive maintenance-wise but remains the most expensive option for rollout when compared with mobile access infrastructure.

Fiber to the Room (FTTR): A step forward or a niche solution?

The lower maintenance costs of FTTH technology were also an argument for decommissioning copper wire networks.  Going further, FTTR (Fiber to the Room) has been promoted as an appealing solution for both residential and enterprise customers. It seems more founded for enterprises in particular, FTTR offers compelling advantages, as it can replace not only Ethernet cables but also many Ethernet switches and routers that typically take up significant space in office buildings. These devices can be replaced by fewer ONTs, freeing precious office space for other uses.

FTTR was also promoted as a solution to Wi-Fi coverage issues faced by home users, as Wi-Fi is the connection point for most customers and its quality is a common challenge for FTTH service providers. However, using FTTR to address this problem seems more controversial, as Wi-Fi 7 presents a compelling alternative. For many home users, Wi-Fi 7 offers a more convenient solution, avoiding the need for fiber installation within the home. Despite this, some regions outside of Europe are seeing an increasing adoption of FTTR among home customers.

AI/ML in Fiber to the Home networks

AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) are currently at the peak of their hype curve, so it’s no wonder the FTTH Conference featured numerous presentations with "AI/ML" in their titles. We hope to see more truly innovative or FTTH-centric use cases for this technology being presented at future editions of the conference.

One notable example involved using AI/ML-powered vision processing to analyze photos taken during the installation process to validate the correctness of fiber rollout in the trenches.  Another use case employing Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) for fiber installation quality verification was presented, but no details on how AI/ML was integrated into this process were not provided.

Economic implications of FTTH development

Data presented at the conference showed an interesting trend: while mobile ARPU remained relatively stable (+0.3% in EU27 between 2019 and 2023), fixed broadband ARPU saw a notable increase (+7% over the same period). This could suggest that, after many years of mobile segment dominance in the telecommunication market in the EU, the rise of fixed broadband (partially thanks to EU funding) is taking place.

A topic that remains for further discussion is the broader economic impact of FTTH rollouts. The conference showcased significant progress in coverage and adoption of Fiber to the Home networks, which impacted the present telecommunications landscape. In-depth data and KPIs on how these efforts have accelerated the EU economy compared to other regions, such as the US or countries that began subsidizing network construction more recently, would provide valuable insights for further development. Another useful information would be how FTTH rollouts have contributed to economic growth and digital society development in the EU, which was behind the decisions for the EU to spend public money on this technology.  

FTTH subsidies have undoubtedly allowed European companies to build competitive and innovative solutions. The expansion of the FTTH market in the European Union countries opens opportunities for companies such as Comarch to leverage these advancements to develop modern IT products and position Europe as a leader in the telecommunications market. However, a deeper analysis of how these subsidies have translated into economic competitiveness, both globally and within the digital ecosystem, would have added valuable context to the discussions.

Key takeaways from the FTTH Conference and next steps for the Industry

The FTTH Conference 2025 underscored significant strides in fiber deployment across Europe while also highlighting the challenges that remain. From improving subscriber take-up rates to leveraging new technologies such as FTTR and AI/ML, there’s a clear path forward. However, to fully realize the potential of these investments, ongoing reflection and innovation will be essential, not just in deployment but in understanding and maximizing the broader economic and societal benefits of FTTH.