| NOTAS: | A study prepared for the European Commission DG Communications Networks, Content & Technology by Analysys Mason Limited
"This study considers the cost of providing future connectivity across all EU28 member states. The study estimates the cost of delivering three future connectivity aims: providing 1Gbit/s connections to Socio-Economic Drivers and Professionals (SEDPs); providing future mobile connectivity; and providing 1Gbit/s connections to all residential areas. In addition to a review of the technologies suitable for supporting such aims, the study estimates the deployment cost of six discrete infrastructure scenarios that combine deployments of fibre and wireless infrastructure. The results of the scenarios are presented on a standalone and incremental basis, and the extent to which costs can be met by the commercial sector is also considered. The study found that economies of scale are crucial for deploying 1Gbit/s capable fibre connections. There are significant synergies between scenarios to connect different types of subscriber with fibre. Also, the number of users at each connection must be carefully considered. For example, the cost per connection of connecting only large businesses, schools and local authority buildings may be high, but the cost per user would be much lower (as each connection serves multiple users). Regarding future mobility, anticipated developments in mobile technology should ensure that average speeds of 50Mbit/s can be achieved. However, significant additional costs would need to be incurred to either a) extend mobile coverage to all major transport links, and/or b) deploy very dense small cells to realise mobile speeds of 1Gbit/s or more, across a wide área." |
