The worldwide market for residential cabling systems was US$236 million last year will grow at an explosive 55% rate annually to reach US$883 million by the end of 2004. So says BSRIA (www.bsria.co.uk), a market research firm based in Berkshire, UK, in its study "World Market for Residential Cable." The residential cabling market will rise from its current 5% of the total world structured cabling market, to 14% in 2004, BSRIA says.
The U.S., China, and Korea dominate the world market, with the U.S. expected to account for 60% of all sales by 2004. The study says that in 2004, cabling systems will penetrate a whopping 40% of newly constructed single-family dwellings.
In contrast, in Hong Kong and Korea the high penetration of multi-family apartments with residential systems is the driving force. BSRIA expects the Singapore market to rise rapidly, due to a government commitment to wire public dwellings. China is already the world's largest market by volume, with 1.5 million residences having been wired with UTP cable.
All European markets are growing quickly, BSRIA reports, but the most dramatic growth will be seen in Germany (183% annual growth) and the U.K. (107% annual growth).
The report says that products and solutions vary technically from region to region. Systems in Asia and North America use UTP cable for voice and data applications, and coaxial cable for cable TV. In Europe, a range of technically different systems has been launched. While some solutions are similar to those in North America, others are based on a single cable to transmit all signals. Usually, the cable type is shielded twisted pair, but BSRIA says that UTP is also sometimes deployed.
American and European suppliers provide packages that can distribute all services, the report says. The concept in Asia is different; cable TV and voice/data are viewed as different markets, and are supplied and installed by separate companies.
The study describes two main categories of cabling systems in multi-dwelling properties. The first is similar to systems installed in single dwellings, with a distribution unit and star-wired cable to a number of outlets. The other is called "property networks," the main purpose of which is to provide a fast Internet connection and, in most cases, voice to each dwelling. Property networks are common in China and Sweden.
The study focuses on systems that distribute voice and data and, in most countries, TV/video and satellite transmission to and within the dwelling. It excludes very basic systems that only include a few voice and cable TV connections without cable for future upgrades. Installations of this type are described, but not included in the market estimates.
The study contains separate sections on the U.S., Canada, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the U.K.