The global optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) market registered revenues of about $200 million in 2019, growing at an average rate of 9% year-on-year. The objective of this Radar is to identify the key companies, their success factors, and opportunities for growth. The study compares different companies on a Growth Index and Innovation Index.

5G is expected to fuel demand for OTDRs with growth in all form factors including handheld, portable, and benchtop instruments. OTDR is also the fastest-growing segment in the overall fiber optic test equipment (FOTE) market. There is immense growth opportunity from all geographic locations with Tier I vendors selling both directly and indirectly in all major countries across the globe.

The companies analyzed in this report include AFL, Aishwarya Technologies, Anritsu, EXFO, Fluke Networks, GAO Tek, IDEAL Networks, INNO Instruments, Photon Kinetics, ShinewayTech, VeEX Inc., VIAVI, and Yokogawa.

•     One of the key functions that network equipment manufacturers are starting to include in their offerings is an OTDR function for simple fault location. With fiber inspection probes already making inroads, multi-functional OTDRs are on the rise.
•     Market leaders have been launching smarter OTDR solutions to address customer needs for increased productivity and user safety.
•     EXFO and VIAVI lead the market with more than a 65% market share between them.
•     Handheld and portable instruments form the largest segment due to their ease of use, low cost, and light weight.
•     There are several opportunities that lie ahead even for Tier II and Tier III companies thanks to their low cost. Product quality is gaining importance with the need for 5G testing.

The Frost Radar reveals the market positioning of companies in an industry using their Growth and Innovation scores as highlighted in the Frost Radar methodology. The document presents competitive profiles on each of the companies in the Frost Radar based on their strengths, opportunities, and a small discussion on their positioning. Frost & Sullivan analyzes hundreds of companies in the industry and benchmarks them across 10 criteria on the Frost Radar, where the leading companies in the industry are then positioned. Industry leaders, predominantly in the Innovation Index for this market, are recognized as best practice recipients.

Author: Sujan Sami