The continued growth suggests that the 小题2: economic decline has not hit plans to build fiber networks. Sweden 小题3: the list of nations applying the technology, with 10.9% of its broadband customers using fiber. Karel Helsen, president of Europe’s Fiber-To-The-Home Council, said the growth matched predictions that were 小题4: when the credit crisis started to make itself felt. “The numbers in 2009 are in line with the latest forecasts,” said Mr. Helsen. By 2013, the FTTH Council expects that 13 million people across 35 European nations will have their broadband delivered by fiber. Such services would start at a speed of 100 megabits per second (mbps), said Mr. Helsen. Around Europe more than 233 projects were underway to lay the fibers that would 小题5: homes or buildings to the net, said Mr. Helsen. Many of those, he said, were being operated by local governments or smaller net firms. Local governments were interested in FTTH because of the economic and social 小题6: it brought in its wake, said Mr. Helsen. The low delay in high-speed fiber networks made 小题7: new uses of broadband, he said. “No delay is very important,” he said, “specifically if you talk about 小题8: that are time-dependent such as personal communications, conference calls or video calls where delays cause a lot of trouble.” While early FTTH services were 小题9: in cities, said Mr. Helsen, many more were reaching out to rural areas for e-health and e-learning projects. |