European fiber rollout outpaces apartment adoption, analyst finds
European fiber coverage is extensive, but subscriber conversion remains uneven across major markets. Maravedis says the share of households in apartment buildings has little relationship with fiber take-up, with Spain and France converting more than 89% of passed homes while Germany and Austria convert under one in four. Across the EU27 and UK, fiber reaches 191 million homes but only 105 million subscribe, shifting operator priorities toward monetizing existing networks.
Across ten focus markets, the share of households in multi-dwelling buildings has only a weak link to fiber subscription rates, with a correlation near 0.17. A stronger signal appears when looking at residents of buildings with ten or more flats, where the correlation rises to roughly 0.52.
Spain and France convert over 89% of passed homes, while Germany and Austria convert fewer than 25%, even though MDUs house more than half of households there. In the EU27 and UK, fiber reaches 191 million homes but only 105 million subscribe, a 54.9% take-up rate. This suggests operators may focus more on monetizing existing networks.
The uneven conversion could affect apartment residents, landlords, and network operators. Where fiber is available but unused, households may miss faster broadband, while providers may face pressure to improve in-building wiring, marketing, and service bundles. Building owners and managers could become key intermediaries, shaping whether residents can access competitive plans. This may influence digital inclusion and how quickly existing infrastructure delivers everyday benefits.