The U.S. fiber optic test equipment market will comprise over a fifth (21.3%) of the worldwide market over the next ten years, according to a new report from Future Market Insights. Fiber optic testing is becoming more critical as the telecom industry increasingly deploys fiber broadband and as fiber becomes an increasingly important underpinning of wireless networks.
The researchers expect the worldwide fiber test equipment market to grow from $923 million in 2023 to $1.7 billion by 2033. The 10-year growth rate represents a CAGR of 6.8%.
North America will dominate the market over the next 10 years, according to the researchers, while the Asia Pacific market is forecast to grow at a “considerable rate.”
To ensure the fiber optic cable is working correctly, testing equipment is used in production, inspection and on-field troubleshooting of network systems, as well as in research and development phases across industries. To maintain network performance, telecom providers are constantly testing insertion loss and bandwidth.
Increased deployment of 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps speeds is another key driver, the researchers noted. They also noted that the optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) test equipment segment will have a market share of 35.7% over the ten-year study period.
“Increased fiber optic testing frequency can boost market revenue by enabling better error rate testers and next-generation fiber optic testing systems,” Future Markets Insights said in a statement. “Although the fiber optic tools market is expanding significantly, customers’ lack of testing awareness is preventing market expansion.”
As fiber becomes increasingly important in provider networks, it will be important not only for providers to have sufficient fiber optic test equipment. It will also be critical to have employees who know how to use it — a topic that increasingly is being covered in a wide range of new fiber optic training options.
