HFCL announces setting up of Optical Fibre Cable plant in Poland at FTTH Conference 2024

The cutting-edge proposed manufacturing facility is aligned to positively contribute to Europe's digital future

BERLIN, March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HFCL Limited (HFCL), a leading technology enterprise and integrated next-gen communications product and solution provider, has announced the setting up of a state-of-the-art optical fibre manufacturing plant in Poland at the FTTH Conference 2024 in Berlin, Europe's leading fibre optic summit. This strategic expansion underscores HFCL's commitment to address the increasing demand for optical fibre cable (OFC) in European markets and accelerate 5G and Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) adoption to align with Europe's vision of gigabit connectivity by 2028.

European countries are on a significant digitization drive with national priorities such as Project Gigabit in the UK, Germany's Gigabit Strategy 2030, France Très Haut Débit, and Spain Digital 2025 Agenda, among others. This has led to an increased demand for optical fibre cables in European markets such as Germany, Belgium, France, Poland, etc. Additionally, factors such as bandwidth limitations of traditional copper cable networks, escalating data demands, and regulatory imperatives driving fibre deployments are underscoring the critical need for optical fibre infrastructures for modern day connectivity.

Europe's optical fibre cable market is projected to experience a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.5% over the next five years with expected demand of 90 mn fkm p.a. by 2028. The FTTH council estimates around 308 million homes in the EU region to have FTTH connectivity by 2028, speeding up deployment by 3-5 years. This signals a rapid expansion of FTTH networks in these areas which will lead to increased demand of OFC.

Committed to meet this growing demand and contribute to Europe's digital future, HFCL, a leading optical fibre cable player, has laid out an initial investment of up to Euro 15.9 million (INR 144 crores) for its Poland optical fibre cable manufacturing plant which will begin with a capacity of 3.25 million fibre km scalable to much higher capacity in future. HFCL currently serves 60+ customers in Europe and manufactures a range of optical fibre cables including high fibre count micro cables, micro duct, micromodule, FTTH, ADSS, underground, and aerial cables.

Given its capability to innovate around unique customer challenges, HFCL's products are compliant to global standards and customised to meet each customer's requirements within the fastest turnaround time. With a conscious focus on environment sustainability, HFCL manufactures optical fibre cables with its highly efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes reducing its carbon footprint. HFCL has also celebrated remarkable achievements in the optical fibre cable space by being awarded a gold level honour at the Merit awards as well as the Lightwave Innovation Award for its high fibre count Ribbon Micro cable.

The strategic move of setting up the manufacturing plant will help serve HFCL's existing and new customers by reducing transit time by approximately six weeks, thus leading to increased order fulfilment capacity. The decision is also aligned to safeguard from potential regulatory shifts, encourage localized manufacturing and enhancing competitiveness in the region. The establishment of the manufacturing facility in Poland will be facilitated through the incorporation of a new stepdown subsidiary in Poland under HFCL B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company in the Netherlands.

About HFCL

HFCL is a leading technology company specializing in creating digital networks for telcos, enterprises, and governments. Over the years, HFCL has emerged as a trusted partner offering sustainable high-tech solutions with a commitment to providing the latest technology products to its customers. HFCL's strong R&D expertise coupled with its global system integration services and decades of experience in Fibre optics enable it to deliver innovative digital network solutions required for the most advanced networks.

The Company's in-house R&D Centres located at Gurgaon & Bengaluru along with invested R&D houses and other R&D collaborations at different locations in India and abroad, innovate a futuristic range of  technology products and solutions. HFCL has developed capabilities to provide premium quality Optical Fibre and Optical Fibre Cables, state-of-the-art telecom products including 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products, 5G Transport Products, Wi-Fi Systems (Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7), Unlicensed Band Radios, Switches, Routers and Defence electronics products.

The Company has state-of-the-art Optical Fibre and Optical Fibre Cable manufacturing plants in Hyderabad, an Optical Fibre Cable manufacturing plant in Goa and in its subsidiary HTL Limited in Chennai.

HFCL is a partner of choice for its customers across India, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA. HFCL's commitment to quality and environmental sustainability inspires it to innovate solutions for the ever-evolving customer needs.

Visit www.hfcl.com for more information.

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References:

https://www.ftthcouncil.eu/knowledge-centre/all-publications-and-assets/1709/ftth-market-forecasts-2023-2028

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