Middle East Group

In response to the demands of several new Middle Eastern members the "FTTH Council Europe Middle East Group" was founded as an ad hoc working group of the FTTH Council Europe at the FTTH Conference in Copenhagen, on 12th February 2009. The initiative represented the next step in a process of extending the highly successful market development activities of the FTTH Council Europe into the Middle East region. The Group is a working party of new Gulf‐based and European Council members.

The Group will be working to accelerate FTTH deployments in the region through promotion and education, communicating the economic and social benefits of major FTTH deployments to support the opportunities for FTTH to grow throughout the Middle East.

According to figures from the latest FTTH Council Europe ‘Market Panorama’ (conducted in association with IDATE), the Middle East market has significant growth potential. As at the end of 2008, the entire Middle East region had 7,500 FTTH/B1 subscribers and a total of 62,000 FTTH/B homes passed. The total population for the region is estimated to be almost 200 million (Source: OECD).

Mr. Faris Awartani was elected Chair of the Middle East Group, Mohamed Salehynia will act as vice-chair.