Nomura says desire for speed will drive fibre broadband uptake

The adoption of fibre optic broadband is set to increase as consumers continue to demand faster download and upload speeds, according to the Nomura Group.

An analyst note from the Japanese financial services and consulting conglomerate claimed consumers in the UK now cite speed as their biggest broadband-related concern, reports Reuters.

Increased adoption of fibre optic broadband will in turn drive average revenue per user for companies such as BT, the UK's largest internet service provider, Nomura stated.

BT's competitive position is improving and mobile network operators will increasingly rely on the telecoms giant for access to Wi-Fi and backhaul infrastructure in order to contend with growing demand for mobile data, the broker continued.

It added: "We believe that BT can become a meaningful part of the mobile value chain."

Nomura's comments come shortly after Point Topic revealed the number of hybrid broadband connections, such as fibre-to-the-cabinet services, rose by more than eight per cent in the third quarter of 2011.