July 21, 2008 -- ElectroniCast Consultants has released a new market forecast and analysis of the global market consumption and technology trends of fiber optic connectors and mechanical splices in communication applications. According to the study results, global optical connector and mechanical splice consumption in 2008 is forecasted to reach $1.64 billion. Going forward, the consumption value will increase with strongly rising quantity growth partially offset by declining average prices. By the year 2012, the worldwide consumption value is forecasted to reach over $2.5 billion.
Multimode connector use is forecasted to grow from $764.1 million, last year (2007) to $1.437 billion in 2012.
"North America's multimode fiber optic connector market share is significantly higher compared to other world regions, due to an earlier start of fiber optics use in private enterprise networks and the subsequent rapid expansion into LAN horizontal cabling interconnects, as well as use in data centers driven by the acceptance of industry structure cabling standards," said Stephen Montgomery, president of ElectroniCast Consultants' APAC and the director of the study program. "Parallel optical interconnect components, including multiple-fiber connectors and vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes (VCSELs), are also driving the migration of fiber closer to the end user."
Use of mechanical splices will decline in percentage share from 3.5 percent in 2007 to 2.7 percent by 2012; however, they will increase in value from $48 million to $68 million. Telecom applications, particularly emergency restoration, are the predominant uses of mechanical splices. "However, fusion splicing has mainly been used in large fiber count cable installations; it has now expanded for smaller fiber count installations, as smaller and lower cost fusion splice equipment are readily available," Montgomery said.
The 290-page market forecast report, plus 195 database spreadsheet pages, is available immediately from ElectroniCast Consultants for a fee of $8,995.
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