The Commission has set targets of 1 Gbps for key public institutions, such as schools, hospitals and large businesses, and a minimum speed of 100 Mbps for all households. The report argues that a range of technologies currently considered VHC by the Commission - such as G.Fast, FTTB/FTTP, Docsis and FTTH - are all capable of meeting the 2025 targets, but Docsis (cable) could do the job quicker and cheaper than fibre. Gigabit speeds could be achieved with cable as early as the end of 2017, eight years ahead of schedule and at a lower cost than FTTP, according to the report.
The report authors said this shows the need for policy-makers to be technology-neutral, and not overly prescriptive in focusing on fibre, as they could jeopardise investment in other areas. It cites the example of Australia, which initially focused on FTTP for its National Broadband Network, only later to incorporate other technologies such as cable, wireless and satellite, to make it more affordable. It claims that countries with high fibre penetration like Japan and Korea have also failed to capitalise on the advantages, with relatively low penetration of socially or economically-valuable internet applications, such as e-government and e-health.
Liberty Global's cable network already passes around 50 million homes in Europe, which it said are all 'GIGAReady'. The company has pledged to expand its coverage by another 1.5 million homes passed this year. The operator is expected to start rolling out Docsis 3.1, capable of delivering speeds of 1 Gbps or higher, in selected markets in 2017.
