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January 15, 2004
Flat-to-slow optical growth likely through 2006

UNITED STATES -- Worldwide optical network hardware revenue hit US $2 billion in Q3-03, a 3 percent decrease from Q2-03, according to Infonetics Research's quarterly worldwide market share and forecast service, optical network hardware. After a decline in 2003, modest growth is likely through 2006, when the market will top US $10 billion.

Michael Howard, principal analyst and co-founder of Infonetics Research, said: "The optical hardware market is stabilising. The telecom service provider capex declines are finished or nearly finished, and they will maintain a flat-to-slow-growth in the future. We expect optical equipment spending worldwide to be relatively stable from 2003 through 2006, and in North America to level out during 2003 and then start slow growth in 2004 to 2005."

Q3-03 optical hardware revenue highlights:

  • Alcatel maintains its number one spot in worldwide revenue market share (intelligent plus legacy) with 14 percent, followed by the same three market share challengers from Q2-03, Huawei, Lucent and Nortel, each with 11 percent;
  • Intelligent optical network hardware makes up 82 percent of all optical network hardware revenue, while legacy continues its decline at 18 percent; legacy will decline to about 3 percent in 2006;
  • Metro networks will remain the focus in general for some time in all regions; metro makes up 70 percent of all optical network hardware revenue this quarter;
  • Metro WDM continues its growth, up from Q2-03 to a total of US $243.7 million, with DWDM up 5 percent, and the burgeoning, but smaller CWDM market up 19 percent;
  • Metro SONET/SDH makes up the lion's share (56 percent at US $1.1 billion) of the total optical equipment sales, led by Alcatel (16 percent) and Fujitsu (14 percent); and
  • Regional breakdown -- 33 percent Asia Pacific, 31 percent North America, 30 percent EMEA, and 7 percent from CALA; Asia Pacific has many buildouts, China has slowed, and India is picking up.

The optical network hardware report tracks SONET/SDH, CWDM/DWDM and PON hardware. Forecasts and regional market share are updated quarterly and cover all regions (worldwide, North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, CALA). Companies tracked in this service include ADVA, Alcatel, CIENA, Cisco, Fujitsu, ECI-Lightscape, Lucent, Lumentis, Marconi, NEC, Nortel, Siemens, Tellabs and others.

PON to see 180 percent rise in quarterly revenue
Worldwide PON revenue reached US $27 million in Q3-03, up 20 percent from Q2-03, and is forecasted to grow 180 percent to US $76 million in Q3-04, according to Infonetics Research's quarterly worldwide market share and forecast service, PON hardware. The annual PON revenue is likely to grow 91 percent to US $102 million between 2002 and 2003, and will top US $531 million in 2006, a CAGR of 63 percent from 2001.

Michael Howard, principal analyst, said: "In North America, there will be a rollout of FTTP starting soon and continuing for the next 10 to 15 years, starting in new build situations next year, and then gradually into neighborhoods where the copper plant is being rehabilitated, beginning in 2005 and 2006. Service providers around the globe, particularly in China and Japan, are beginning to install PON products and to figure out how to profitably build business and residential services around them."

Q3-03 trends in PON hardware market:

  • 59 percent of metro PON revenue was from North America, 25 percent from Asia Pacific, 16 percent from EMEA;
  • PON is to date primarily a North American phenomenon, although some early trials indicate that increased adoption will follow in other geographies; this trend will continue through 2006; and
  • A-PON will be the PON technology gorilla for the next few years with a significant revenue lead through 2006.

Companies tracked in this service include AFC, Alloptic, Alcatel, FlexLight, Fujitsu, Optical Solutions, Quantum Bridge, Salira, Terawave, and others.

Contact
Infonetics Research Inc.
Tel: +1-408-298-7999 Extn. 223
michael@infonetics.com
www.infonetics.com

 






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