RAF MEERSMAN NETWORK MONETISATION
The rollout of fibre in Europe has been an enormous infrastructure achievement, and in many ways, a great success. By the end of 2023, almost 70% of homes in the EU39 area had access to fibre-to-the-home or building (FTTH/B) networks. But the commercial viability of fibre networks depends on actual usage, and here the figures tell a different story, writes Raf Meersman , SVP EMEA, at IQGeo. Fewer than half of these homes have taken up a fibre subscription. So while Europe has built the network, the majority of citizens are still not connected. STRATEGIES FOR NETWORK MONETISATION IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME?
ADOPTION IS KEY TO MONETISATION
SCENARIO MODELLING TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM PLANNING As networks expand, planning becomes more uncertain. Operators are required to make choices not only about where to build but when and in what form. These choices are often made with partial data and without a structured way to explore alternatives. Scenario modelling addresses this by allowing operators to test different combinations of deployment strategy, design limits and commercial objectives before committing capital or scheduling work. This approach helps planners weigh trade-offs more clearly. For example, they can weigh the costs of densifying the network against expanding it to the edge or adjust timelines to fit available resources. Some operators go further and include planning approvals, access rules or demographic trends in their models. The purpose is not to remove uncertainty, but to support a more disciplined way of planning that focuses on what is most likely to affect results. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A TOOL FOR PRIORITISATION Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to play a more useful role in helping operators decide where to focus their efforts. Fibre providers already have access to large volumes of network, market and operational data. But making sense of that data and acting on it in time is still not easy. AI tools can help by pulling this information together and pointing to areas where there is a better chance of success. This includes ranking serviceable areas by revenue potential, identifying groups of addresses that are close to
work with different tools, assumptions and priorities. Sales may follow up on leads that turn out to be difficult or expensive to serve, while engineers may design for efficiency without knowing where demand is strongest. Planners are left trying to coordinate between the two, without a clear view of how their decisions affect profits. This fragmented process is a real disadvantage. Operators may know where the revenue opportunities are, but without automation and shared data, it is hard to act quickly. And in a market where success depends on speed and accuracy, this is a problem. STRATEGIC TARGETING BASED ON COMMERCIAL LOGIC Operators obviously understand that not every address within reach of the network presents the same value. But turning that understanding into action at scale remains difficult. The problem is not so much visibility, as most organisations know (at least roughly) where their network is and where service is technically possible. What’s currently missing is a system for consistently identifying which areas also meet the commercial thresholds for attention. They need to move beyond case- by-case decisions and apply a method that connects service availability with expected revenue. When quoting is based on margin potential and the chance of conversion, sales teams can focus their time better. The goal is not just to move faster, but to use financial criteria to guide the process from the beginning. This helps avoid spending time on marginal leads and makes sure resources are used where they are more likely to bring results.
This gap in adoption is already having consequences for the business case behind fibre deployments. According to the FTTH Council Europe, more than €130 billion in additional investment is needed to reach 90% coverage across the continent, about the same as has already been spent. This highlights the urgency to prove that existing networks can generate revenue. Without this, it will be difficult to justify further investment from the business perspective. Investors are also becoming more cautious in many European markets. The attention is moving away from building fast and at scale. Instead, investors want to see steady income from fibre networks and a clear business case for expanding coverage. Lenders are now focused on homes activated rather than homes passed and are using this metric to assess the cash-flow potential of fibre operators. This marks a clear shift in investor priorities, TRADITIONAL METHODS LIMIT GROWTH In many cases, operators are still relying on outdated ways of working that do not scale well. Manual, route-by-route quoting slows down delivery, as sales teams often must ask for technical assessments one case at a time, with little context and understanding of wider impact. Outreach is not structured, promising leads near the network are often ignored and RFQ responses take too long. It’s also hard to know which leads are worth pursuing when departments are using disconnected systems. Sales, planning and engineering teams often
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| ISSUE 41 | Q2 2025
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