US fibre expansion points to the slow demise of cable

Once well-entrenched as the leading suppliers of high-speed broadband services in the USA, cable operators (cablecos) now compete with hundreds of telecoms operators that are deploying FTTP infrastructure. The big three (non-cable) operators (AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon), the Tier-2 ILECS, as well as a few significant altnets and many small operators are rapidly expanding the nation’s FTTP coverage.

The superior long-term operating cost profile of fibre will ultimately give FTTP network operators a cost advantage over the cablecos, an advantage that may increase as cablecos continue to lose market share and have to spread fixed costs across fewer customers. Cablecos face tough choices as a result.