FTTH/FTTP/FTTC/FTTx

Current Status of Fiber To The User

Created By Jim Hayes, VDV Academy

For The Fiber Optic Association
Presented at The NECA Show, Boston, 2006

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 1

©2006
 What is FTTx?
• FTTH: fiber to the home
• FTTP: fiber to the
premises
• FTTC: fiber to the curb
• FTTN: Fiber to the node
• FTTx: for those who can’t
decide what to call it or
are referring to all
varieties!
Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 2
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 What is FTTx?
• Mostly a telco issue
– Telcos have many aging
cable plants
– CATV companies have
HFC networks in place
– Competitive carriers now
install own fiber
– Telcos fighting for
exclusive rights
Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 3
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 Who Competes With Telcos
In Implementing FTTx?
• Municipalities
• Utilities
• CLECs
• Private companies
• Battleground for telcos
and CATV companies

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 4

©2006
 Where is the fiber?

• Where is the bulk of telephone cabling?

– 10% is long distance
– 10% is local loop (metropolitan)
– 80% is subscriber loop
• Long distance and local loop are
virtually all fiber
• Is FTTx just completing the system?
Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 5
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 Why FTTx? Why Now?
• Telcos are suffering with aging copper
cable plants
• Telcos are losing broadband customers to
CATV and landline customers to cell
phones and VoIP
• New services are becoming available to
enhance revenue - and customers
demand them
• Regulations changed sharing issues
• New technology (PON) and cheaper
components makes FTTx cheaper

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 6

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 Why FTTx? Why Now?
• Many telcos are realizing that
the alternatives to FTTx are
inadequate for future bandwidth
needs:
– DSL won’t have the bandwidth
– Wireless won’t have the bandwidth
– BPL won’t have the bandwidth
• Eventually they will have to go
FTTx, so why put off the
inevitable?
Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 7
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 Who Wants FTTx?
• Homeowners: for high speed Internet
access and video downloads
• Home Builders: FTTx adds value (and
profit) to their homes
• Hardware Providers
• Service Providers: IPTV, HDTV, video
on demand

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 8

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 FTTx is gaining momentum
• US: 6 million
homes passed
(Jan, ‘06)
• 1,000,000
connected
• Still a drop in the
bucket!
• Data from Render,
Vanderslice and
Associates, 2006

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 9

©2006
 What’s In It For Contractors?
• Contractors are doing FTTx installs for
Verizon and others
• While few electrical contractors do
residential electrical, homes with
structured cabling offer double the work
and potential profit!
• FTTx will affect the commercial fiber
market - fiber is cheaper!
Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 10
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FTTx Cost Breakdown

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 11

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 FTTx Architectures
• Home run - fiber from CO to every home
• Active star - local switch then fiber to
every home
• Passive optical network (PON) - use
splitter near customer share fiber to CO
• WDM PON - PON but with each
customer having a specified wavelength
• All based on standard SM fiber
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FTTx Architecture
Home Run

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 FTTx Architecture
Active Star Network

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 FTTx Architecture
Passive Optical Network (PON)

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 FTTx Alternative
Fiber To The Curb

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FTTP BPON Architecture (Verizon)

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 17

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 FTTx PON Network
Special Components - Distribution Hub

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 18

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 FTTx PON Network
Special Components - Splice Closure

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 19

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 FTTx PON Network
Special Components - Optical Network Terminal

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 FTTx Is Driving
Residential Cabling
• Driven by FTTH, building
codes, customer demand
and builder profits
• More diverse than
commercial cabling
– Internet
– CATV coax
– Home theater
– Intercom
– Security
• TIA 570A+

Fiber Optic Association & VDV Academy 21

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 The FOA Supports FTTx
• New certification for
FTTx techs
• Training program
and reference
materials for FOA-
approved schools
• Helping recruit FTTx
techs

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 For more information, contact:
The Fiber Optic Association, Inc.
1119 S Mission Road #355, Fallbrook, CA 92028
Tel: 1-760-451-3655 Fax: 1-781-207-2421
www.thefoa.org info@ thefoa.org

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