BT Abandons Fiber Joint Venture Plans; United Internet CEO May Take Controlling Share

After announcing plans to nationalise parts of telecoms provider BT, the FTTP network is in the crosshairs. BT executives are claiming that such plans will cost 127 billion pounds and are unrealistic. In contrast, the Conservative Party's plans include free full-fibre broadband by 2025. But do these plans really represent the best future for broadband?

FTTP deployments by Orange and Free

BT recently abandoned plans for a fiber joint venture and announced it would no longer pursue the project. BT's fixed line subsidiary Openreach will now be responsible for building its fiber footprint. This will allow it to complete the project at a much faster pace and at a lower cost than expected. According to the company, it expects to connect more than 20 million homes with fiber by the end of 2026. It will invest an additional $16 billion over the next five years.

As of the end of 2013, Sweden's rural NGA coverage rates were 5% and 6%, respectively, which were slightly lower than the EU and U.S. benchmarks of 6 and 8 percent. These figures do not reflect the full extent of FTTP coverage, which is still significantly lower than the EU and U.S. averages. Moreover, these numbers do not take into account the differences in economics.

French government backed FTTP

The French government is backing FTTP in a bid to boost its internet connectivity. Recently, Bouygues Telecom released a five-year plan, titled Ambition 2026. The plan contains ambitious goals to build fibre networks. This strategy also calls for an increase in investment in the field.

In addition, the French government has allocated additional funds for FTTP deployment. A total of EUR570 million is set aside for the project. The funds will support new phases of investment in departments across the country. This money will help overcome current challenges in deploying fibre. The French government has committed to make full FTTP coverage available by 2025, and this latest funding boost will help it get there.

The French government has also pledged to implement a State Guarantee scheme for eligible companies. Under this scheme, the French State will guarantee up to 300 billion euros of loans to eligible companies. The French government has created an agency called Bpifrance Financement to administer the funds. These guarantees are available to eligible lenders, which includes credit institutions and financing companies. However, parent companies and hedge funds are excluded.

Lumen's Quantum Fiber FTTH product superior to wireless

Lumen Technologies' Quantum Fiber product promises download and upload speeds of up to 8 gigabits per second in select cities. Its symmetrical upstream and downstream capabilities make it superior to wireless and hybrid fiber coax connections. It plans to expand its fiber footprint by more than 400k locations by 2020. While it is still early in its development, Lumen executives say that its fiber broadband is superior to wireless carriers and hybrid fiber-coaxial connections.

The company plans to pass more than 12 million premises by 2022. The company expects to add 1.5 million to two million fiber subscribers a year. It estimates that it will reach this goal by year-end 2027. During Q1 2022, the company added 27k new customers to its Quantum Fiber product, resulting in a 142k year-over-year increase in subscribers. By the end of 2022, Lumen expects to serve more than 762k fiber subscribers in its 16-state footprint.

TDC has sold remaining stake in share sales in 1991 and 1993

TDC has sold its remaining stake in Bite Group to Mid Europa Partners. The latter company is an affiliate of TDC and owns a minority stake in Bite. In February 2007, TDC sold its remaining stake to Mid Europa Partners for EUR450 million. The company will use the money to invest in other Nordic countries.