This is the second issue of CRU’s Telecom Cables Market Report Plus. This report takes a look at 2008’s progress and reassesses the outlook through 2013. The coverage includes quantification of single-mode cable and fibre demand in more than 50 markets as well as regional summaries. The report also contains an update of the telecom and economic indicators. External copper telecom production and demand are covered in Chapter 4.
After strong optical cable market growth last year, there are several major changes underway in 2008. Growth has slowed from an annual rate of 26% in 2007 to 13% with this issue’s forecast for 2008. Preform capacity is highly utilized, and the long-term trend of declining prices has stopped and even reversed in some markets. To address these developments, this issue includes detailed discussions of the market growth factors, preform capacity, and single-mode fibre price outlook.
There also are key transition points in the copper telecom cable market. The telecom indicators show that worldwide growth in the number of wireline access lines has come to a standstill. The rate of increase in DSL subscribers has slowed down. Wireless access, on the other hand, continues to progress with dramatic subscriber numbers, especially in developing markets. So the demand for external copper cable is dropping.
This issue has a profile of Indonesia, which is seeing an infusion of telecom spending to address lower-than-average broadband market penetration. There is also a discussion of CATV demand for optical cable, noting the trend in that market to extend fibre closer to the subscriber premises.