56% of UAE linked with fibre-optic technology: Study

The UAE bid to make advanced technology available to all of its residents is bearing fruit, pushing the emirate to the world’s most networked countries in latest Internet and telecom technology.

According to the latest statistics, around 56 per cent of premises in the UAE have been deployed with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology by the end of 2011.

A research by FTTH Council Europe said that the UAE jumped two places to be ranked second globally in terms of deployment of FTTH, ahead of all the major developed economies.

The number of premises linked with FTTH increased by more than 27 per cent in 2011 to 56 per cent in 2012 compared to 30.89 per cent in the previous year. First ranked South Korea topped with 58 per cent of homes linked with FTTH networks.

In 2011 ranking, the UAE was ranked fourth behind Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The annual list by the Fibre-to-the-Home Council Europe includes 30 economies that have at least one per cent of buildings connected to FTTH. None of the Arab countries could make into the list of 30 countries.

According to the latest list, Hong Kong (45 per cent), Japan (42 per cent) and Taiwan (29 per cent) were ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the latest ranking.

Fibre-to-the-home offers high-speed broadband but it’s more costly to procure than alternative deployments. Almost all of the fibre optic connections in the UAE are done by Etisalat – the first and largest telecom services provided in the country.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.