Fiber outstrips copper

17 Jun 2002

Fiber will have 67% of the US telecommunications outside-plant market by 2000, according to a recently published report, Telecommunications Outside PlantProduct--US Markets, Customers & Competitors: 1997-2000 Analysis & Forecasts. In 1996, fiber's share was only 45%. The remaining 33% of the market will becopper products, which in comparison accounted for 74% of demand as recently as 1991.

Outside-plant products provide for communications signals traveling between telephone-company switches and from central offices to customer premises. Accordingto the study, demand for fiber products will grow 18% annually between 1996 and 2000, while the use of copper products will drop each year by 2%.