Prysmian To Target Growth In Fast Developing FTTH (Fibre To The Home) Market

Prysmian Telecoms Business Director Hakan Ozmen To Lead Presence At The FTTH Council Europe Conference In Portugal As Market Prepares For Major Investment Boost, With Alternative Operators Driving Growth Across Europe

Milan, 16 February 2010 – Prysmian Telecom Cables, one of the world’s leading companies in the development and delivery of FTTH (Fibre To The Home) solutions, aims at reinforcing its role as a market leader in the fast growing sector of FTTH, focusing on product innovation and expansion across world markets. The company will highlight its position by presenting the most comprehensive range of solutions it has ever displayed when it appears at the 7th FTTH Council Europe Conference in Lisbon on February 24/25th.

“FTTH is now a reality in much of Europe with Prysmian playing a major role in the market thanks to its product and service innovation capability.
We are also seeing clear signs of FTTH deployment in the developing markets and are now active in a number of interesting regions such as Russia, the Baltics and parts of the Middle East. FTTH should not be confined only to the developed, mature telecoms markets such those of Western Europe. It is a technology applicable to everyone. We are committed to the concept of FTTH and are determined to take our new products to these less traditional locations so that it also becomes available to everyone” said Mr Hakan Ozmen, global telecoms business director.

Prysmian’s heritage dates back to the earliest days of telecom cables and the company’s global reputation for world-class solutions is again highlighted by products such as the CasaLight™ family of bend intensive fibres and VertiCasa™, the MDU (multi dwelling unit) cabling.

The event comes just two months after Prysmian signed an agreement with Portugal-based Cabelte Cabos Electricos e Telefonicos S.A., under which they will jointly develop and market FTTH solutions in Portugal and brings together the strength of Cabelte's local production of optical fibres and fibre optic cable together with the experience and broad portfolio of solutions provided by Prysmian in the field of passive optical networks.

“Portugal is one of the fastest growing fibre rich environments in the region. Plans are in place to provide maximum fibre penetration into the access network which will give high speed broadband services to the majority Portugal’s inhabitants over the next few years,” added Mr. Ozmen.

With Portugal currently one of Europe’s brightest stars in terms of FTTH roll-out, it is entirely appropriate that this prestigious conference is being held in the historic city of Lisbon. As recently confirmed by the Council, the number of homes passed by FTTH networks has increased fivefold inside the last year, putting Portugal firmly in the top division of European FTTH adopters, with more than a million homes now within easy reach of a fibre connection.

In addition to exhibiting, Prysmian’s Product Manager, Networking Solutions, Alessandro Pirri, will give a presentation highlighting the challenges of upgrading old industrial areas in some European cities against a backdrop of energy saving needs and eco-compatibility requirements whilst providing systems which will deliver the growing broadband needs of today and tomorrow.