The Financial Post reports in its Thursday edition costly fibre cables all the way to homes and businesses could be the last of the so-called "leap-frog" technologies left in the telco, says a new RBC Capital Markets report. The Post's Christina Pellegrini writes the faster download speeds telcos can achieve on their existing networks means cable companies have less to gain in the near term if they spend a lot of money upgrading. As Internet usage keeps soaring, the imbalance puts telcos at "a structural disadvantage," the report says. RBC estimates the average cost of deploying fibre to a home is $900, and what is worrisome is the owner of the property might never sign up for the services. Any hiccup, delay or overage in the rollout could result in free cash flow, guidance and valuations being slashed. It could even trigger a wave of consolidation, as regional providers such as Cogeco Cable could feel a financial pinch. Investors should pay close attention to how the telcos diversify their revenue streams and upsell additional services to recoup costs faster and make more use out of each aerial and burial fibre line. BCE says 70 per cent of its fibre upgrade in Toronto will be by way of utility poles.