Study: Global Broadband Access Equipment Spend Plummets to a Two-Year Low

Fiber optic
(Image credit: Pixabay)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—New data from the Dell’Oro Group shows that global revenue for the Broadband Access equipment market decreased to $4.1 billion in Q3, 2023, down 14% year-over-year (Y/Y) to a two year low. 

The researchers said that the lone bright spot this quarter was spending on Fixed Wireless CPE, as North American operators continued to expand their 5G Sub-6GHz subscriber bases.

North American spending down 26% from last year as Tier 1 broadband providers paused purchases, the Dell’Oro Group also reported.

“The inventory alignment that began in North America has now migrated to Europe and Latin America, as both regions saw significant Y/Y declines in equipment spend,” said Jeff Heynen, vice president at Dell’Oro Group. “Meanwhile, Chinese operators are once again accelerating their purchases of PON ONTs to support growing FTTR (Fiber-to-the-room) deployments,” explained Heynen.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 Broadband Access and Home Networking quarterly report:

  • Total Fixed Wireless CPE unit shipments were up 1 percent from last quarter, buoyed by indoor 5G Sub-6GHz units, which reached just below 1.3 M units for only the second time on record.
  • Total cable access concentrator revenue was down 18 percent Y/Y at $197 M.
  • Remote PHY devices and Virtual CMTS platforms both saw slowdowns this quarter, as cable operators pulled from their existing inventories. 
  • Meanwhile, Remote OLT (R-OLT) revenue was up Y/Y, but down from last quarter.
George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.