Fast-Tracking Next-Gen FTTx Rollouts with Optimized TCO

Fiber to the X (FTTx) has been proven to be the shining star of the NGA (Next Generation Access) family and provides an excellent platform for high—or ultra-high-speed access technologies.

Fixed access and advanced wireless networks benefit from FTTx solutions, especially regarding increased backhaul capacity. While the move from copper-based networks to FTTx implies a significant change for operators, the challenges involved in the deployment and operation of FTTx have been addressed with many proven solutions for both the passive and active parts of the network.

While it is natural that operators want and need to make the best use of their installed (Legacy) base, it is becoming more apparent that the migration to FTTx is fully underway. This is not only due to significant downlink speeds but also increasingly due to superior quality of service, allowing higher uplink speeds that enable cloud services, lower latency, and more economical upgrades, making FTTx technology more competitive in the coming years.

Broadly, TechM delivers end-to-end services for FTTx with an automation wrapper for faster rollout, enhanced quality, and cost efficiency.

• Network Consulting, Planning, Design, Engineering, and Cost Analysis
• Network Rollout
• Network Management

Future Proofing FTTx Network Rollouts:

The efficient implementation of FTTx technology calls for strategic market analysis and network planning. Service providers must identify comprehensive frameworks where complex interactions can be effectively managed. This must be substantiated by methodical investment in systems, tools, and skilled resources to deliver a successful FTTx program. The role of an experienced partner to design, build, operate & maintain is crucial in devising a cost-effective way of FTTx network deployment.

Telecom companies offering fixed line phone and wired broadband services face stiff competition from mobile telephony and the Wi-Fi segment.  As fixed, mobile, data, and cable networks converge, the commercial, technical, administrative, and regulatory challenges in this domain become more severe for FTTx deployment.

Critical Challenges faced during Implementation of FTTx Network

• Strategy: The service provider must outline a cohesive FTTx rollout approach to ensure that the design, build, operate & maintain processes optimally address commercial, regulatory, technological, and timescale-related problems in provision of new services and the “homes passed” (number of homes that have been passed by the cable network, can be connected to it, and are available for use).
• Network Planning & Engineering: In deploying fibre for greenfield and brownfield/ overlay sites, where incumbent operators already use copper network infrastructure, planning and design decisions become more critical. They must be made by choosing the right technology—such as GPON, EPON or P2P, and FTTx architecture in terms of FTTh/ FTTp/ FTTc/ FTTn.
• Operation Support & Preparation: The complications of legacy copper and fibre network inventory data systems and their migration to integrated Next-Generation Operations Support System (NGOSS) systems pose significant challenges in delivering effective physical/logical network inventory system and operations support. The problems are evident in both the pre- and post- deployment stages. For service fulfillment and to ensure that broadband investments deliver real value, it is necessary to have enhanced OSS capabilities.
• CAPEX & OPEX Regulation: It is important to achieve cost-efficacy in FTTx deployment by reducing CAPEX and OPEX. This calls for accurate cost estimation before initiating the plan and build work. Resources need to be scaled for greater efficiency and costs optimized for network planning, design, implementation, and operation phases.
• Skills & Capabilities: Training of teams and their deployment for delivery of FTTx solutions are crucial. The resources however are often trained on legacy copper infrastructure, which is why they lack core essential skills necessary for fiber network planning, engineering, and system management.

TechM brings proven experience and expertise in Fiber/FTTx areas to address these challenges and help CSPs deliver their networks according to committed timelines and SLAs.

TechM’s Approach to Address these Challenges:

• Strategy: TechM team will work in tandem with the service provider’s in-house team to ensure that the new network is planned to meet projected demand. This is done by choosing the right equipment and procedures to meet customer needs and regulatory norms. The plan to build process utilizes industry-standard modeling techniques and tools to validate FTTx strategies along with allied construction and equipment costs. It helps to optimize deployments while harmonizing capacity and coverage.
• Network Planning & Engineering: Managing the information crucial to facilitate design and construction of the planned network is an important step in the deployment process. This is realized with the use of proven design systems and tools, and the support of ’s skilled resources. This helps to prepare and process the design work orders that record information pertaining to network path, facilities, equipment, and connectivity—all needed to deploy the strategized network.
• Operational Support & Preparation: A significant aspect of supporting the FTTx deployment process is management of the physical and logical network inventory data as also the operations support systems essential in delivery of service fulfillment and assurance. TechM brings vast experience & expertise in Inventory Solutions (Physical & logical) that can be integrated into NGOSS application.
• CAPEX & OPEX Regulations: Track & monitor payment at the construction stage by enabling accurate recording of the network as it gets deployed and ensures that backlogs are eliminated. With the integration and automation of systems necessary to track and manage work orders and as built records, recording and verification activities are effectively managed. They are continually supported during and after deployment.
• Skills & Capabilities: TechM has a team of skilled planning and engineering professionals who are well trained and experienced in Fiber/ FTTx Rollout processes, tools, and systems

Conclusion:

Tech Mahindra will engage with CSPs to help them speed up their Broadband/Triple/Quadruple-Play Rollouts with optimized TCO.

In the current Scenario, CSPs are using multiple systems/tools for Fiber/FTTx Inventory. Design and provisioning, network planning, and engineering groups use these systems.

Due to scattered information in many systems, CSPs are facing the challenges below:

• Multiple systems/tools for Fiber/FTTx Inventory
• Fiber design is not adequately automated and takes longer cycle time
• Inconsistency in information across various systems, leading to inaccurate designs
• Limited options for automatic path finding (i.e., automatic fiber design)
• Limited reuse of expensive fiber network resources

TechM will work closely with CSPs to address their operational challenges in Fixed Access Networks by unifying (consolidating) its Fiber/FTTx planning and design practices.

Integrated Services & Automation View

Key Highlights:

• One platform for a single source of truth
• Integration with CSP's existing system to enable correlation of data
• Resolve data inconsistency and data integrity issues while building the inventory in the new platform
• Enable auto design/path finding feature