Spanish FTTH connections double

Spain’s appetite for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) lines remains undimmed, with the number of FTTH connections doubling over the past year to reach 288,012 by the end of 2012, according to a report published by Telefónica.

The total number of fixed broadband lines grew three per cent last year, the report adds, with FTTH lines accounting for an estimated 2.5 per cent of all fixed broadband connections in the country, driving a shift in consumer behaviour from content ownership to content streaming.

The overall number of high-speed lines (including cable, VDSL and FTTC) has also increased markedly: the number of lines delivering speeds of 20Mbps to 50Mbps has grown 111 per cent, while the number of lines capable of more than 50Mbps grew 60 per ent, with both reaching one million.

Telefónica found that six million Spaniards are now “permanent digital communicators” and remain connected to the internet 24/7, with mobile broadband being a key driver, as 43 per cent of mobile owners now use their devices to connect to the web.

Fixed broadband penetration increased by five percentage points last year to reach 67 per cent of all Spanish homes, despite the country’s ongoing economic difficulties.

Applications continue to grow exponentially in the Spanish market, with 2.7 million apps currently downloaded each day by Spanish consumers.