Fiber infrastructure investment to touch $144 bn between 2014-19

Telecommunications operators will invest $144.2 billion between 2014 and 2019 on fibre cable infrastructure to enhance broadband expansion globally according to the latest edition of ITU’s annual global ICT regulatory report, Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016 released yesterday.

The study notes that increasing numbers of existing operators, new entrants and financiers are developing alternative funding approaches for broadband network investments. Investment in broadband infrastructure is also coming from more unlikely institutions such as hedge funds or corporates that do not traditionally invest in telecoms infrastructure.

The ITU report said more than 40 operators have launched or are planning LTE-A deployments worldwide with 88 per cent of these operators in developed markets while noting that the rise in consumer data consumption may spur more Wi-Fi investment.

The mobile industry association GSMA predicts between 1 – 2 billion M2M connections by 2020. Some experts believe that the market for IoT devices will grow exponentially, resulting in over $1.7 trillion in value added to the global economy by 2019.

The report charts and analyses the challenges and opportunities facing today’s ICT regulators as services proliferate, platforms converge and network operators ready their infrastructure for the next round of data-intensive technologies, from 5G mobile to the Internet of Things (IoT).

With the theme of ‘exploring regulatory incentives to achieve digital opportunities’, the report emphasises the growing importance of flexible, light-touch, technology-neutral regulatory principles which stimulate market growth while protecting the rights of consumers and encouraging new entrants.

Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General said “Information and communication technologies are now all-pervasive and will be central to helping the world meet all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The role of ICT regulators in creating an enabling environment for ICT growth and development has never been more critical.”