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INTERNATIONAL
DEPLOYMENTS
Europe: French Providers Agree
to Share In-Building Wiring
Fiber to the home is often described
as a natural monopoly, so that
“whoever is first with fiber, wins.”
But in Paris, France, multiple providers
have been overbuilding each other’s fiber
networks with the encouragement of
the French national regulatory agency.
The agency, ARCEP, has tried to promote
competition while minimizing the
costs of building multiple competing
networks. Because most Parisians live
in low-rise MDU housing, one potential
area for cooperation is in-building wiring.
Recently three large providers – incumbent
Orange (France Telecom), cable
giant Numericable, and alternative
operator SFR, which recently merged
with Neuf Cegetel – signed a detailed
agreement for sharing in-building fiber
optic cables.
In most neighborhoods where they
are deploying networks, the three providers
agreed to use a “single-mode”
solution: Each residential unit will be
equipped with a special fiber allocated
to the operator chosen by the subscriber.
But in one Paris neighborhood
and in a provincial town, the providers
are testing a “multimode” solution – a
new technique in which four fibers are
installed in each building and each operator
can connect to the network at the
shared access point.
The fourth major FTTH deployer in
Paris, Free (Iliad), has not signed onto
the agreement. According to France
Telecom, Free is demanding that the
four-fiber solution – which is still being
tested – be deployed everywhere. France
Telecom says this approach will make
it difficult for residents of buildings already
wired by Free to choose a different
operator. France Telecom accuses Free
of “blocking the implementation of a
general agreement on the mutualization
of vertical fibering, a prerequisite for the
large-scale deployment of fiber.”
The agreement is open to other operators
– in case Free changes its mind – and
the three signers have agreed to adapt
their terms and conditions based on feedback
from tests and early deployments.
Also in France, communications
wholesaler Axione is planning to build
out FTTH networks and offer triple
play services in 11 areas through public
service outsourcing contracts. Axione
will use Ethernet, IP/MPLS and FTTH
technologies from Alcatel-Lucent. Alcatel-Lucent
will also provide project
management, network design, installation,
integration and maintenance.
“Economic development and growth
for our customers across the country is
the goal of this project,” says Jacques
Beauvois, Chairman of Axione, and
Pierre Barnabé, Vice President of Alcatel-Lucent’s
activities in France, adds,
“This project demonstrates Axione’s
commitment to bridging the digital
divide which ultimately will boost economic
and social development in regional
communities.”
Andorra Telecom (Servei de Telecommunications
d’Andorra), which
is deploying a fiber-to-the-premises
network throughout the principality of
Andorra, announced that it is using the
VertiCasa cable system from Prysmian
Cables & Systems in multiple dwelling
units. Andorra Telecom’s project began
in 2008 and will reach all 35,000 homes
and businesses by 2010. The company
chose Prysmian’s VertiCasa for its easy
fiber access and break-out, which reduces
installation times and the need
for skilled labor. The system includes a
main riser cable of up to 48 fibers, which
can be branched directly to individual
subscribers on different floors without
splicing the fiber in the riser.
Prysmian has recently been involved
in a number of other projects in Europe,
Middle East, Russia and China utilizing
VertiCasa along with other products
from its FTTH portfolio.
Swiss incumbent Swisscom has selected
Huber+Suhner products and systems
for its fiber-to-the-home network.
Huber+Suhner, a specialist in electrical
and optical connectivity, will supply fiber
management systems to Swisscom
for local exchanges. As a first step, it will
supply customer-specific “LISA” highdensity
fiber optic management systems
for the exchanges in Basel, Geneva and
Zurich. Swisscom has used fiber optic
technology for years, first to connect its
exchanges and later for business customers.
It is now bringing fiber to private
households in order to enable applications
such as HDTV and teleworking, as
well as faster transfer of large data files.
Dutch fiber-to-the-home operator
Reggefiber has signed a contract with
Genexis for fiber-to-the-home gateways
in Reggefiber’s FTTH network, now being
rolled out in more than 10 Dutch
cities. Genexis’ FiberXport gateway will
deliver broadband Internet, VoIP and
television services to homes on the network.
“Fiber to the home is the last step
to be taken in order to offer end users
real access to the digital highway,” says
Peter Kamphuis, Reggefiber’s director of
operations. “The Genexis FTTH gateway
enables us to deliver triple play and
more while maintaining low installation
and operating cost.”
Reggefiber is deploying Europe’s
largest FTTH network, with plans to
connect at least 2.5 million homes in
the Netherlands by 2013. In December
its joint venture with incumbent telco
KPN to deliver FTTH was approved by
the Dutch Competition Authority.
Dansk Bredband, a broadband
communications supplier in Denmark,
has chosen Enablence as the PON supplier
for its rollout of fiber to 50,000
homes over the next two years. The first
18 | BROADBAND PROPERTIES | www.broadbandproperties.com | January/February 2009