Fiber-optic broadband service outpaces ADSL in Japan

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The percentage of fiber-optic service subscribers in Japan’s broadband population surpassed that of asymmetric digital subscriber line users for the first time last year, the government said Friday.

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Fiber-optic service users accounted for 31.3% of broadband subscribers at the end of last year, up 4.1 percentage points from a year earlier, while the proportion of ADSL users fell to 18.9% from 27.7%, the communications ministry said.

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The result underscored an accelerated shift by consumers to fiber-optic services that allow speedy, high-volume data transmission.

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Non-commercial broadband users increased 2.5% to an estimated 58.28 million, accounting for two thirds of Internet users, the ministry said.

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The ministry said the ownership ratio for electronic money such as East Japan Railway Co’s Suica and BitWallet Inc’s Edy rose to 21.5% from 10.7%.

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The data was compiled from a survey of 6,256 households nationwide, of which 58.2% gave valid responses.

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