There is a saying, “Good things come in threes,” and this also applies to the fiber broadband market. Gerlas van den Hoven, CEO of Genexis, reflects on: what happened in the market during 2024 and what we can expect from the broadband market in 2025.
Three highlights from 2024
Among all the industry events and discussions with peers, partners, and communications service providers (CSPs), we have identified three central themes that dominate and will spill over into 2025. Why are they important? They impact the speed of fiber expansion and adoption and indicate where market players are heading. These themes are:
- Moving beyond 1G: While 10 Gbit/s technology is already available, 2024 was the year that signified the transition to the real adoption of more than 1G speeds. One case is our customer, Reykjavík Fibre Network. We have seen operators move to 2.5G and 10G speeds.
- Wi-Fi 7 momentum: The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced the Wi-Fi 7 Certified seal early in 2024, and Wi-Fi 7 products are gaining traction. More than 233 million devices were expected to enter the market in 2024, growing to 2.1 billion devices by 2028. Wi-Fi 7 capabilities include faster speeds, lower latency, and enhanced capacity for high-bandwidth applications like augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR), ultra-high-definition video streaming, industrial IoT, and more.
- Increased industry consolidation: Mergers, acquisitions, and alternative network providers (AltNets) play a significant role in expanding high-speed broadband access. Notable deals include Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier Communications in the US and the merger of two AltNets in the UK, Netomnia and Brsk.
Three trends for 2025
The key themes from 2024 will continue into 2025; here are some additional topics we will see more of:
1. Moving sustainability and social aspects to the forefront
Our industry will focus more on reducing power consumption, using recyclable materials, prolonging product lifecycles by repurposing hardware, and reporting our industry’s climate footprint. Sustainability is already integral to Genexis’s overall strategy, and we are committed to being NetZero by 2050. We work proactively to minimize our environmental impact, lead the industry, and design our products, focusing on circularity and using up to 90% recycled plastics. On the social front, we provide jobs to people who are distanced from entering the job market. They might have long absences of unemployment or disabilities. At our warehouse in Bladel, Netherlands, we cooperate with an organization to employ more than 50 people to help them re-enter the workforce.
2. Capitalizing on data and AI to improve user experience
At the same time, as fiber networks expand and adoption increases, millions of users have different needs. By leveraging data insights and artificial intelligence to analyze user behavior, preferences, and network performance, services can be optimized and customized to offer an even better quality of experience.
3. Strengthening cyber resilience
Developing robust cybersecurity is regulatory and increasingly demanded by end users. The Network and Information Systems 2 (NIS2) Directive and Cyber Resilience Act provide guidelines on how European countries strengthen critical infrastructure security and essential services. We have recently outlined the current status of NIS2. For years to come, we will see continued focus on cybersecurity on several levels and across our industry.
