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Fiber Optics News 30 May 2025 - 21 June 2025

Internet Access in Jamaica: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

Internet Access in Jamaica: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

Jamaica’s internet penetration is about 83–85%, with 2.37 million internet users in January 2025, representing 83.4% of the population online. Rural areas show roughly 77% internet usage compared with about 87% in urban centers, highlighting an urban–rural digital divide. Median mobile data speed is about 29–30 Mbps, while median fixed broadband speed is around 60–80 Mbps, with fixed speeds rising from ~61 Mbps in January 2024 to ~82 Mbps in January 2025 and mobile speeds down about 3.5% in 2023. By 2023, 99% of Jamaicans had access to at least a 4G mobile signal, while 5G networks were essentially non-existent
Slovenia’s High-Speed Makeover: From Fiber Frenzy to Starlink Skies

Slovenia’s High-Speed Makeover: From Fiber Frenzy to Starlink Skies

As of 2023, FTTP coverage reached about 78.5% of Slovenian households, well above the EU average of 64%. Telemach operates a hybrid DOCSIS 3.1 cable + XGS-PON fiber network, with its GIGA cable network covering over 350,000 households and delivering nearly ubiquitous 1 Gbps downloads, after a 600 Mbps top bundle in 2020. Telekom Slovenije (SiOL) fiber passes over 424,000 households as of 2024, offering up to 2 Gbps download and 100–200 Mbps upload, with DSL remaining in rural areas and 4G/5G fixed wireless for non-fiber zones. A1 Slovenija, with about 19% market share, provides up to 1 Gbps on
17 June 2025
Internet Access in Macedonia: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

Internet Access in Macedonia: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

MakTel’s FTTH network passes over 270,000 households and offers up to 1 Gbps on fiber, with DSL available nationwide at about 50–60 Mbps where fiber is not yet present. A1 Macedonia (formerly One.Vip) operates a hybrid cable and fiber network and had 56% of the population with 5G-ready fiber or cable by 2022, with up to 200 Mbps symmetric fiber in bundles. Telekabel runs its own network in 17 cities and has 100% fiber coverage in at least four cities, offering fiber plans around 40 Mbps for MKD 600 per month. By 2022, about 75.6% of Macedonian households had access
17 June 2025
Jam-Proof & Unstoppable: How Fiber-Optic Drones Are Rewiring the Future of UAVs

Jam-Proof & Unstoppable: How Fiber-Optic Drones Are Rewiring the Future of UAVs

Fiber-optic drones carry control commands and high-bandwidth video via a tether, delivering a 1 Gbps (1000Base-T) link with near-zero latency and immunity to RF jamming. Fiber communications were pioneered by Charles Kao in 1966 and proven practical by 1977, enabling high-bandwidth data transfer for drones. Russia deployed fiber-tethered kamikaze FPV drones in spring 2024 during the Ukraine conflict, achieving demonstrated ranges of 20–30 km. By late 2024, Ukraine’s 3DTech with the Khyzhak REBOFF series and Russia’s Ushkuynik group’s Knyaz Vandal were among the first operational fiber-drone models. In the 2010s, tethered systems from Elistair and Hoverfly used Kevlar-based tethers for
17 June 2025
The Digital Lifeline: Inside Ghana’s Internet Revolution from Fiber to Satellite

The Digital Lifeline: Inside Ghana’s Internet Revolution from Fiber to Satellite

As of early 2025, about 24.3 million Ghanaians were internet users, representing 69.9% penetration, with 38.3 million active mobile connections. Over 93% of mobile connections are on 3G, 4G, or 5G networks, underscoring mobile broadband dominance. In 2021, internet use was about 80% among youth (15–29), with urban usage around 80% and rural usage about 54%. Fixed broadband subscriptions were about 113,640 by late 2023, less than 0.7% of the population, with more than 99% of users relying on mobile networks. MTN Ghana launched 4G LTE in 2016 and accounts for about 82% of Ghana’s 4G traffic. By 2020, 4G
State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

As of Q4 2024, Jordan had about 812,000 fixed broadband subscriptions, with fiber representing roughly 73% (about 591,000) of fixed lines and total fixed broadband at 33.4% household penetration. Mobile broadband reached 8.0 million subscriptions in Q4 2024, with 4G LTE coverage exceeding 90% of the population and 5G launched commercially in 2023, tallying 112,900 5G subscriptions by end-2024. SpaceX Starlink became live in Jordan in April 2025, making Jordan one of the first Middle Eastern countries to offer land-based satellite internet. Orange Jordan introduced satellite broadband via the Eutelsat Konnect satellite in April 2025, delivering up to 100 Mbps
14 June 2025
Hungary’s Digital Lifeline: How Fiber, 5G, and Satellites Are Rewiring the Nation

Hungary’s Digital Lifeline: How Fiber, 5G, and Satellites Are Rewiring the Nation

As of late 2023, more than 97% of Hungarian households have access to wired fixed broadband networks, including FTTH and upgraded cable. Thanks to the Superfast Internet Programme (SZIP), by 2020 at least 30 Mbps service reached over 95% of households in underserved areas. By 2022, gigabit-speed networks pass about two-thirds of households, and Very High Capacity Network coverage rose from 72% in 2021 to 80% in 2022, well above the EU average of about 72%. Pure fiber (FTTP) coverage reached 70% of households by 2022, up from roughly 50% two years earlier. Mobile networks provide nearly universal 4G coverage
Inside Morocco’s Internet Revolution: From Fiber Optics to Satellite Access

Inside Morocco’s Internet Revolution: From Fiber Optics to Satellite Access

As of early 2024, Morocco had 34.47 million internet users, representing about 90.7% of the population. In 2024, Morocco recorded 51.36 million cellular connections, equating to a mobile penetration of 135%. The three leading mobile operators are Maroc Telecom (IAM) with about 42.9% of mobile users, Orange Maroc with 33.2%, and Inwi with 23.9%. 4G service launched in 2015–2016, and by mid-2023 about 95% of identified rural white spots had mobile internet coverage, with the remaining few hundred localities slated to be connected by the end of 2023. 5G has been tested by all major operators, with a licensed spectrum
Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

Côte d’Ivoire’s Internet Revolution: Fiber Optics, 5G Dreams, and Satellite Solutions

As of 2024, about 53.4% of Ivorians live in urban areas, while urban internet usage is roughly 50% compared with 22% in rural areas. Côte d’Ivoire has laid over 5,200 km of fiber under the RNHD backbone, targeting nearly 7,000 km by September 2025. The country is connected to the ACE and WACS submarine cables, and the 2Africa mega-cable is expected to land in 2023–2024, adding about 180 Tbps design capacity. By 2023, about 92% of Ivorians had access to at least one 4G network. MTN Côte d’Ivoire began 5G trials in 2021 and launched first 5G sites in late
State of Internet Access in Azerbaijan: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

State of Internet Access in Azerbaijan: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

The first internet connection in Azerbaijan was established in 1994, with public access available by 1996. By 2010, there were an estimated 3.7 million internet users, about 44% of the population. In 2009 Azerbaijan issued a third GSM operator license as 3G services were introduced. Delta Telecom has historically owned the sole Internet Exchange Point and the international gateway, supplying 90–95% of the country’s international bandwidth in the late 2000s. By 2022 Azerbaijan’s total international internet bandwidth reached about 2.2 terabits per second, up from 155 Mbps in 2006, aided by new fiber links to Russia, Georgia, and Turkey. As
State of Internet Access in Armenia: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

State of Internet Access in Armenia: From Fiber to the Final Frontier

Armenia ended ArmenTel’s monopoly around 2005–2007, opening Armenia’s internet market to new ISPs and mobile operators. In 2013, Armenia removed the licensing regime for ISPs, allowing any company to provide internet after notifying the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC). By 2022, more than 200 ISPs were officially registered in Armenia. In 2020, Armenia scored 88.5 out of 100 on the ITU ICT Regulatory Tracker, placing it in the advanced “fourth generation” regulation category. As of 2023, about 77% of Armenia’s population uses the internet. By 2021, 100% of Armenia’s settlements had 4G/LTE coverage. Fiber accounts for over 83% of fixed
State of Internet Access in Albania: From Fiber Optics to Satellite Signals

State of Internet Access in Albania: From Fiber Optics to Satellite Signals

83% of the population aged 16–74 uses the internet regularly, and about 96.7% of households have some form of internet access. As of 2023, about 90.4% of Albanian households have fixed broadband access, up from 58% in 2019. In the late 2010s, DSL accounted for around 39% of connections while FTTH/B totaled about 31%, and today fiber is expanding with gigabit plans up to 1 Gbps in urban areas such as those marketed by Vodafone Albania after acquiring Abcom. About 90% of fixed-line subscriptions are in urban zones, with rural share around 10%, and urban fixed broadband penetration was roughly
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