FROM THE INDUSTRY
INTRODUCTION As the digital landscape continues to expand with data-intensive, time-critical applications such as cloud gaming, video streaming and virtual reality, the operators are turning to fibre to meet consumers’ demand. But with a third of the global population still without fast connectivity or connectivity at all, pressure is mounting on the telecoms industry to roll out broadband deployments at pace, all without sacrificing quality to ensure no one is left behind. Operators also need to overcome and navigate a sea of obstacles to enable them to predict their network’s operating costs (OPEX) and expenditure (CAPEX) to remain profitable and attract investors. To achieve this, the whole industry must shift towards collaboration and interoperability of multi-vendor solutions. The challenges of full-fibre access solutions One of the most significant challenges when it comes to deploying a fibre network is the high cost associated with installing physical infrastructure. This
How is the fibre industry overcoming these hurdles? In recent years, the industry’s shift to software-defined networking has gathered significant momentum, with the market expected to grow from US$24bn, as of 2023, to US$60bn by 2028. Manual operations are often costly and error- prone, amplified by the constantly changing networking industry. A manual approach cannot keep pace with the requirements of a large user base, new services and applications, while a variety of fibre-access technologies make it complex to configure and maintain a comprehensive network and keep a consistent user policy. Software-defined access (SDA) presents a solution for FTTH network operators to simplify and automate network and service provisioning and increase average revenue per user (ARPU) by offering high-data-rate, on-demand services and an improved customer experience. Driving network management away from human provision, SDA introduces automated and efficient configuration and monitoring. SDA architecture touches on the main pillars of every piece of fibre-optical infrastructure including the Optical Line Terminals (OLTs), Customer- Premises Equipment (CPE), Optical
includes everything from excavating roads, laying down cables and receiving the necessary planning permissions. Not only does the installation process pose a potential headache, but maintenance and upgrades can also be an issue if the network equipment becomes outdated or is not compatible with new equipment. The infrastructure needs to be in service and be able to accommodate upgrades for decades. Supply chain risks are also at the top of the industry’s concerns. Issues at any link in the supply chain can create huge downstream problems and bottlenecks for fibre networks. Even greater issues may occur if there is only one vendor of active equipment involved. Vendor lock-in occurs when an operator is using a supplier’s equipment in their network that cannot work with a competitor’s equipment, or, even worse, actively disrupts or prevents multi-vendor interoperability. This can be major problem, as it limits the operator’s choices, negatively impacts their deployments, and increases OPEX due to the inability to automate end-to-end management and service provisioning. The fluctuating costs, lack of sustainability, regulation and unpredictability of a product’s lifecycle can derail deployments and project budgets.
SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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