High-speed fibre broadband on the rise in Europe
The ability for European citizens to get next-generation broadband is growing dramatically according to a new report, but yet again the UK’s infrastructure is lagging behind.
![European broadband](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9NtRiL6nyPVQnL3sG5wPTB-320-80.jpg)
The availability of 100Mbps broadband across Europe, and the number of people signing up, grew significantly in the second half of 2009, according to a new report.
Consulting and research firm IDATE has issued its latest report, commissioned by the Fibre-to the-Home (FTTH) Council Europe, showing the growth rate has increased from 19 per cent in June 2009 to 29 per cent by the end of December.
This equates to over almost 3.5 million subscribers of next-generation broadband and over 25 million homes or buildings having the ability to use it.
Unsurprisingly the Scandinavian countries topped the charts when it came to the percentage of homes with access, with Norway leading the way with 64.9 per cent penetration and Sweden in second with 41.4 per cent.
However, the UK didn't get a look in on the charts. That said, its plans to rollout the faster technology by the likes of Virgin Media and BT are in much earlier stages than many of our European counterparts.
The report highlighted that although the connectivity access is growing successfully, "the main issue" remains in convincing consumers to sign up for high-speed connections.
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
Resources
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.