Rugged fiber optic components show steady sales growth - survey

24 Aug 2006

Value of ruggedised fibre/optics components will hit $2.9 billion by 2012, military-aerospace dominance of market will cool.

Market analyst company Electronicast Consultants, Tokyo, Japan and Upper Lake, CA, US, has released a new market forecast study of the global available market and consumption of fiber optic components and associated “rugged” components designed for harsh environments.

"Over the past three years, while the global consumption of conventional commercial fiber optic components has gradually recovered from the 2000-2003 market collapse, most harsh environment applications have maintained steady growth,” said Jeff Montgomery, president of Electronicast Consultants.

Global consumption of harsh environment (rugged) fiber optic components is forecast to climb from $1.09 billion in 2005 and $2.02 billion in 2009 to $2.88 billion by 2012. The 10-year forecast is available immediately from Electronicast Consultants.

Military and aerospace still dominate - but less so

The market value historically has been dominated by military and aerospace qualified components, with a 65% share in 2005, but this will cool to 54% or $1.56 billion by 2012. The commercial/industrial fiber optic component consumption model, in turn, is led by plastic optical fiber (POF) components.

Passive components, dominated by fiber optic cable assemblies (both glass and polymer-based), accounted for 52% of global consumption value of rugged fiber optic components in 2005, or $569 million.

This ratio of values of passive versus active components will remain relatively constant, as passive component value grows to $1.5 billion by 2012.

Fiber optic cable assemblies and harnesses will dominate passive components value, reaching $1.18 billion in 2012. Active component consumption will be dominated by transmitter/receiver units, with a 45 percent share of total components consumption, climbing to $1.31 billion by 2012.

About Electronicast

Electronicast Consultants specializes in forecasting trends in communication networks and in the products used in those networks. This includes technology forecasting, markets and applications forecasting, strategic planning and consulting.