Fiber is winning the broadband war. For the first time in 2021, high-speed fiber internet surpassed cable to become the primary fixed broadband technology across the OECD’s 38 member countries, according to recently released OECD data. Fiber broadband now constitutes more than one-third (34.9%) of fixed broadband subscriptions.
Fiber subscriptions increased by 18.6% in 2021 (to reach 34.9%) to overtake cable, now at 32.4% of fixed broadband subscriptions, and DSL at 27% and falling.
In 13 OECD countries, the share of fiber is now at 50% or above: Chile, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, and Portugal, and above 70% in Iceland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden. In the United States, the share of fiber among fixed broadband connections reached 21.8% in 2021, climbing from 16.4% in 2020.
Blandin on Broadband 