Connected Cities: Globalisation of Very High Capacity Networks
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The aim of this study is to obtain a detailed snapshot of superfast connectivity with a download rate superior or equal to 100 Mbps in big cities around the world and to draw out the top 10 selection. This comparison between cities is based on qualitative criteria such as quality of service, affordability compared to local standard of living and on quantitative criteria such as coverage or market competition.
Asia’s major metropolises top the ranks thanks to their very high capacity (VHC) networks, many of which are FTTH. Newcomers to the ranks, notably the Middle East, score very high on certain criteria. Cities in the United States have climbed several spots thanks to telcos’ rollouts in response to cable’s longstanding stronghold on the broadband access market, and more recent rollouts from newcomers such as Google. Europe is also in good shape, thanks to the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) and a desire to build VHC networks in densely populated areas, where infrastructure-based competition is strong. The only cities absent from the top of the ranks are in Latin American, where progress is clearly being made, but still not enough to close the gap with other countries.
Asia’s major metropolises top the ranks thanks to their very high capacity (VHC) networks, many of which are FTTH. Newcomers to the ranks, notably the Middle East, score very high on certain criteria. Cities in the United States have climbed several spots thanks to telcos’ rollouts in response to cable’s longstanding stronghold on the broadband access market, and more recent rollouts from newcomers such as Google. Europe is also in good shape, thanks to the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) and a desire to build VHC networks in densely populated areas, where infrastructure-based competition is strong. The only cities absent from the top of the ranks are in Latin American, where progress is clearly being made, but still not enough to close the gap with other countries.
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. METHODOLOGY
2.1. Methodology
2.2. A selection of connected cities
3. SFB NETWORK COVERAGE AND AVAILABILITY
3.1. Criteria applied
3.2. Availability: rankings and findings
4. QUALITY OF FIXED AND MOBILE ACCESS SERVICES
4.1. Criteria applied
4.2. Availability: rankings and findings
5. AFFORDABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF ACCESS PRODUCTS
5.1. Criteria applied
5.2. Affordability of access products: rankings and findings
6. GLOBAL ACCESS COMPOSITE INDEX
6.1. Global rankings according to connectivity access criteria
6.2. Development outlook for connectivity in big cities
7. ANNEXES
7.1. Annex 1 – Top 20 cities in terms of coverage and quality of service
7.2. Annex 2 - Top 20 cities in terms of access product pricing, competition and availability
7.3. Annex 3 - VHC access service pricing, by country
2. METHODOLOGY
2.1. Methodology
2.2. A selection of connected cities
3. SFB NETWORK COVERAGE AND AVAILABILITY
3.1. Criteria applied
3.2. Availability: rankings and findings
4. QUALITY OF FIXED AND MOBILE ACCESS SERVICES
4.1. Criteria applied
4.2. Availability: rankings and findings
5. AFFORDABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF ACCESS PRODUCTS
5.1. Criteria applied
5.2. Affordability of access products: rankings and findings
6. GLOBAL ACCESS COMPOSITE INDEX
6.1. Global rankings according to connectivity access criteria
6.2. Development outlook for connectivity in big cities
7. ANNEXES
7.1. Annex 1 – Top 20 cities in terms of coverage and quality of service
7.2. Annex 2 - Top 20 cities in terms of access product pricing, competition and availability
7.3. Annex 3 - VHC access service pricing, by country
TABLES & FIGURES
1. Executive Summary
2. Methodology
Regional distribution of the selected cities
Cities that stand out on one connected city criterion, in 2016
3. SFB network coverage and availability
Radar chart of the top 10 cities’ SFB access product availability
Top 10 cities by SFB access product availability
4. Quality of fixed and mobile access services
Radar chart of cities’ fixed and mobile network quality
Top 10 cities by SFB network quality
5. Affordability and transparency of access products
Radar chart of cities’ affordability of services
Top 10 cities by affordability of SFB plans
6. Global access composite index
Radar chart of cities’ SFB product availability, quality and affordability
City rankings by indicator
7. Annexes
Top 20 cities based on coverage and quality of service criteria
Top 20 cities based on price, competition and access product availability criteria
VHC access service pricing by country
1. Executive Summary
2. Methodology
Regional distribution of the selected cities
Cities that stand out on one connected city criterion, in 2016
3. SFB network coverage and availability
Radar chart of the top 10 cities’ SFB access product availability
Top 10 cities by SFB access product availability
4. Quality of fixed and mobile access services
Radar chart of cities’ fixed and mobile network quality
Top 10 cities by SFB network quality
5. Affordability and transparency of access products
Radar chart of cities’ affordability of services
Top 10 cities by affordability of SFB plans
6. Global access composite index
Radar chart of cities’ SFB product availability, quality and affordability
City rankings by indicator
7. Annexes
Top 20 cities based on coverage and quality of service criteria
Top 20 cities based on price, competition and access product availability criteria
VHC access service pricing by country