Qwest: Fiber to the cell is hot, Fiber to the Home is not

A month after announcing the launch of wholesale fiber-based wireless backhaul services, Qwest Communications is bullish on fiber to the cell at the same time it says industry trends indicate clearer than ever that the company has no need to deploy fiber to the home (FTTH). As Qwest exits the retail wireless business this week, it is talking to all of the industry's mobile operators about using its fiber-to-the-node network, which now passes more than 3 million homes, to bring fiber to mobile base stations. Though the company said it was too soon to estimate the potential revenue from its fiber backhaul initiative, executives said the new initiative could help raise margins in its wholesale business.