Full-fiber networks in Europe: state of play and future evolution

In Europe,  fibre networks have been expanding, driven by a combination of private investment and competition, and by ambitious policy targets to connect every European to a gigabit network by 2030. Full-fibre networks are now available to a majority of Europeans. Nearly everyone in Spain, Portugal and France has the option to buy full-fibre-based connections; in Germany, where DSL and cable perform relatively well and deployment costs are reportedly high, fibre investment and roll-out has been slower to materialise. This rapid increase in full-fibre network coverage can be ascribed to investment by established operators, financial investors, and the public sector. Roll-out has been remarkably fast in countries where regulatory policies, new private investment and competition came together to reduce deployment costs and put competitive pressure on legacy networks. In other countries, where competitors face greater costs or non-cost barriers, deployment has been slower.   Public funding and subsidies have played a crucial role, particularly where the business case for private investment has been weak, resulting in a mix of publicly-owned and subsidised infrastructure in many European countries.