Over a quarter (26.8%) of EU homes could access FTTP broadband services at the end of June 2017, up 3.2 percent points from a year earlier, according to the latest figures compiled by IHS Markit for the European Commission. VDSL coverage grew the fastest over the 12 months, to 53.4 percent of EU homes versus 48.2 percent a year earlier, while Docsis 3.0 speeds over cable networks were available to 44.7 percent of homes, an increase of 0.8 percent points, according Telecompaper. The figures help the EU assess the progress on reaching the targets of 100 percent of homes with at least 30 Mbps and 50 percent with 100 Mbps broadband by 2020. The former target, based on homes with VDSL, FTTP or Docsis 3.0, passed 80 percent at the end of June 2017, up 4.3 percent points over the year, while coverage of FTTP and Docsis 3.0 alone, which can deliver at least 100 Mbps, reached 57.8 percent of homes.
In addition to the EU28, the figures include Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Of the 31 countries, 22 had more than the EU average of 80.1 percent of homes able to receive so-called next-generation access (FTTP, VDSL or Docsis 3.0). Malta was best off with 100 percent NGA coverage, and Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland and Portugal were all over 95 percent, while Greece was lowest at 49.6 percent.
The study also looks at mobile broadband coverage and found LTE coverage has now matched HSPA at 97.9 percent of households. LTE was available to at least 99 percent of households in 13 countries, with only Cyprus scoring below 90 percent. In rural areas of the EU, LTE coverage improved 10 percent points over the year to 89.9 percent of households.
