scte member focus
You have been heavily involved as a vendor in the FTTH roll outs in both France and the UK – how do they compare, and which has the better network in your mind? Oh wow! That’s like asking me if I support England or France in the 6 Nations rugby. As to which country did or is doing best in FTTH – I think this would be a great topic for someone looking for an original PHD subject. There are so many variables to consider. I was fortunate to be an active member of the FTTH commitee at the French regulatory equivalent of Ofcom, ARCEP. The committee was represented by key operators and manufacturers. This group dictated the network design and product types to be used on all FTTH infrastructure. This is extremely beneficial as it streamlines and determines how networks are built. On the other hand, it can at times stifle innovation. In hindsight it could have been beneficial for the UK FTTH infrastructure had Ofcom provided some more stricter guidelines on network build – eg precon vs blown fibre or spliced solutions. As the market moves towards consolidation there are going to be some major headaches as to how you integrate such diverse network designs. Ultimately both countries have state of the art networks that will always need tweaking. I am a firm believer in preconnectorised solutions vs splice simply because they reduce maintenance in the long term and speed up the network deployment. What would you like to see improve across the sector? I think standardisation on network architecture especially in the access space is essential. This will happen overtime and will ensure higher quality connections and ultimately reduce costs.
AI – the incedibly visionary novels of Huxley, Orwel and Bradbury had some amazing predictions some of which are or have happened. We are at a critical stage to ensure safeguarding the future use of AI – especially with the increasing number of unpredictable autocratic leaders now in power. What do you get out of being a member of the SCTE ® ? What would you like to see more of? I joined the SCTE over 20 years ago on the recommendation of a customer contact who said it was an excellent environment for networking. I have to say this was very helpful for me at the time to meet some key industry professionals and ultimately develop our business in the UK. Two of my best sales recruits for the UK were achieved thanks to relationships nurtured at the SCTE and they know who they are! Broadband Journal has always been a good source of industry information and is getting even better. Perhaps providing more content on what is happening outside the UK in other European countries would be a positive step.
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May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
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