Lithuania leads Europe in fibre-optic network penetration

According to the annual report of the FTTH Council Europe, Lithuania has retained its leading position in Europe in fibre-optic (FTTH) Internet network penetration, and is placed eighth in the world.

Over the past year, the number of fibre-optic Internet users in Lithuania has increased by almost 3 percentage points to reach 34.6 percent. This is the best result out of any of the 39 European countries where the study was conducted in late 2014.

Integrated telecommunication, IT and TV services provider Teo has the most developed fibre-optic Internet network in Lithuania. Last year alone, the company's FTTH Internet customer base increased by more than a tenth and reached over 200,000 households, or almost two-thirds of the country's population. Since 2007, Teo has invested 157 million euros in a next-generation FTTH access network, the company reports.

Sweden, which is quickly catching up with Lithuania, appears in second place in Europe, with almost 33 percent of its population using the fastest Internet access in 2014. Latvia is in third place with a penetration rate of 29 percent, while Estonia appears in 13th place, with 12 percent of households covered. With a rate of nearly 70 percent the United Arab Emirates leads the world in FTTH penetration.