Fiber broadband is expected to remain the dominant technology in Asia-Pacific (APAC) fixed communications through 2031, with the region’s fixed communications service revenue forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2% between 2026 and 2031, according to GlobalData.
The forecast links the growth to increasing fixed broadband adoption, particularly in emerging markets, and to ongoing network expansion programs. GlobalData projects fixed broadband account penetration to reach 23.6% of the population by the end of 2026, rising to 26.6% by 2031, driven in part by government investment in infrastructure in markets including the Philippines, Malaysia and India.
In developed APAC markets, GlobalData said broadband penetration is already relatively high, citing national broadband network projects in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Kantipudi Pradeepthi, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, said demand for high-speed internet and competitively priced fiber plans with inclusions such as unlimited data and access to subscription video-on-demand services are expected to support fiber broadband adoption across the region. Pradeepthi said fiber-optic access lines are forecast to account for about 86% of total fixed access lines in developed APAC by 2031, and 88% in emerging markets.
GlobalData pointed to government-led rollout and upgrade programs as a key driver for fiber expansion in emerging markets. In Malaysia, it cited the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) plan and said fibre-optic coverage reached 9.94 million premises as of May 2026, exceeding the plan’s Phase 2 target of nine million premises by 2025.
In India, GlobalData cited Bharti Airtel’s FY2025–26 deployment of more than 43,000 kilometres of fibre and expansion to cover more than 45 million homes. The release also said China had about 99% of broadband subscriptions on fiber optic lines as of 2026, and referenced Ministry of Industry and Information Technology figures from May 2026 indicating more than 32 million 10G PON ports capable of delivering 10-gigabit services.
The forecast also expects limited growth in fixed voice services. GlobalData said voice telephony penetration in APAC will remain around 10% through the forecast period. It projected circuit-switched telephony lines to decline at a CAGR of 0.6%, while packet-switched telephony lines are expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1%.
Pradeepthi said fixed voice revenue is expected to continue declining as consumers shift to mobile voice and over-the-top calling services.
