IDATE says FTTH and FTTB coming to 227m homes by 2015

More than 220 million households will be signed up to an 'ultra-fast' fibre optic broadband service in four years' time, according to new research.

IDATE, the consulting and market analysis firm, predicted 227 million properties will be connected to fibre to the home (FTTH) or fibre to the building (FTTB) by the end of 2015.

Almost 493 million homes and businesses will be within reach of an FTTB or FTTH network by that year, the company added.

The organisation went on to reveal that 2010 saw the prevalence of 'ultra-fast' fibre broadband rise by more than 53 per cent to reach almost 61 million homes.

Despite this forecasted growth for the technology, IDATE has previously claimed that consumers in Europe are yet to be convinced about the benefits of FTTH and FTTB.

Across the continent, the penetration rate stood at 17.5 per cent - well below the 34 per cent seen in the US and 39 per cent recorded in Japan.