20.5 mln PON subscribers by 2008

According to Infonetics Research, the number of PON subscribers worldwide will skyrocket 1,260% between 2004 and 2008, from 1.5 mln to over 20.5 mln. Worldwide OLT and ONT PON equipment revenue will grow from $525 mln in 2004 to $1.9 bln in 2008; ports will grow from 1.7 mln to over 8 mln. PON is growing rapidly in Asia Pacific, especially Japan, where over 2 mln subscribers are already using BPON and EPON. In comparison, PON is just beginning to take off in North America, as Verizon gets into high gear, quickly passing the deployment rates of IOCs and local governments. Worldwide PON revenue will get an 84% jump start between 2004 and 2006, with a major chunk coming from NTT and Verizon.