Introduced in 2023, the Open Access Committee has several objectives, including promoting the idea of Open Access and the wholesale fibre business model, stimulating and encouraging wholesale-oriented regulation and discussing and exchanging experience and best practices. To deliver on its mission and based on the know-how of its member companies, the Committee touches upon several fields, including the regulatory framework for wholesale operators, the technical aspects of Open Access, IT solutions for network operators, promotion and education, and sales and marketing of Open Access-based fibre services.

You can expect a variety of new contents and resources generating from these discussions, that will soon become beneficial to the fibre community at large.

For those who are not familiar with the concept of Open Access, here are five main advantages of adopting this business model while deploying FTTH networks, as identified by the working group:

  1. Open Access is a model that allows for the deployment and operation of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks in a cost-efficient way.  Building one infrastructure that is accessible to all service providers is in fact very cost-efficient, and has a significant impact on national coverage and market value. This cost-efficiency results from the fact that the same infrastructure is shared by all service providers, reducing the need for multiple infrastructures and saving on deployment and maintenance costs.
  2. The wholesale model can be very agile in administration, as there is no customer care. This means that service providers can focus on delivering services, while wholesale operators handle infrastructure maintenance and management.
  3. Service providers benefit from extensive coverage of the open access network without upfront investment, which makes it easier for them to provide services to customers without having to invest in expensive infrastructure.
  4. End-users benefit from a variety of services provided by diverse operators over the open access network. This means that customers have access to more choices in terms of services, pricing, and quality.
  5. Open Access drives competition of services in a very simple and transparent way. The wholesale operator does not compete with service providers, and service providers have equal terms and conditions of access. This creates equal opportunities for all service providers, promoting a more competitive and dynamic market.

2026 FTTH Market Panorama - Report by Country

May 19, 2026
Reports & Studies | Market Intelligence Committee |

The FTTH Council Europe Market Panorama – By Country Report provide a detailed and comparable view of the development of full-fibre connectivity across Europe, based on data collected as of September 2025. Prepared by the FTTH Council Europe Market Intelligence Committee, with the support of IDATE, these reports draw on a robust bottom-up methodology that combines operator inputs, regulatory sources, and market intelligence. 

Across Europe, the FTTH/B market is entering a new phase. While network rollout has reached high levels of maturity in many countries, the focus is progressively shifting from coverage expansion to network utilisation and monetisation. As highlighted in the Market Panorama, nearly 80% of premises across the EU39 are now covered, yet a significant gap remains between infrastructure availability and active subscriptions. This evolving landscape reveals increasingly heterogeneous market dynamics.

Some countries are approaching full coverage and high penetration levels, driven by strong policy frameworks and competitive ecosystems. Others continue to face structural challenges related to deployment economics, geography, or demand stimulation. Overall, the Country Reports aim to help stakeholders understand each market’s current position and identify the key drivers that will shape the next phase of fibre development in Europe, accelerate take-up, and close the gap between infrastructure availability and active subscriptions.

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