Building the network

If you are a beginner in Gigabit fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), you may be confronted with basic questions: what is a fiber network; what are my technology choices; how should I build it; what do I need to consider? Here is a quick guide to all-you-need-to-know about starting your fiber broadband project.

Building a FTTH network is a challenging task even for experienced operators. It requires specialist skillsets and services. Key areas to consider:

• A successful rollout starts with the right network design.
• Centralized rollout control with a shared datastore breaks down silos between operator and contractors.
• Validation and certification of optical paths
• Professional network build experience with associated project management tools and skill sets.
• Automating the ONT activation process.

Automation is ideal for accelerating fiber broadband ONT deployments as many of the steps needed to connect, provision, and activate an ONT follow a fixed or predictable sequence of events. Automation removes manual intervention, accelerates deployment times, eliminates human error, and reduces costs. An automation workflow sitting in the cloud and connected to the OSS/BSS is the key enabler. A good solution is vendor agnostic, meaning it can be used for any ONT from any manufacturer.

Using G.fast over existing in-building wiring makes it possible to deliver Gigabit broadband to buildings where it is difficult to reach each apartment with fiber for various reasons, such as legal and administrative issues, cable routing, permits or tenant permissions. No customer is left behind while operators benefit from enhanced Gigabit service coverage, differentiation, reduced risk of churn, and increased ARPU that helps fund the fiber rollout.

The rise of SDN has brought disaggregation of hardware and software to FTTH optical line terminal (OLT) solutions. These OLT solutions do not come only in disaggregated pizza boxes; they exist in various form factors, from big shelves to stackable modular 1RU OLTs. Crucially, all form factors are capable of evolving to software defined access networking. The right choice of OLT form factor depends on the deployment scenario, density and scale of your FTTH network.

Yes. Demand for good broadband in rural areas is on the rise because of the life-changing difference it makes for citizens while rural businesses are making increasing use of high-bandwidth video and cloud applications. The cost of connecting rural homes is higher, but the need for fast broadband is just as high.

The BEAD broadband infrastructure program is one of many funding vehicles the US Government is offering to offset the costs of expanding broadband access to rural areas. This comprehensive guide provides a brief overview of the programs offered by FCC, NTIA, USDA and the Treasury and covers how each program will be administered and the projected timing of award announcements and distributions.