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.

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.

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

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

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%.

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