Cable
operators in need of upgrades of their networks have been advised to
look beyond latest cable upgrades and deploy fiber sooner rather than
later to remain competitive, according to Iskratel’s latest
executive white paper,
reports ITRealms.
Giving this council at the Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) conference in France,
the Iskratel through its Chief Architect, Simon Cimzar said, there is an increasing number of
considerations that operators must make when looking to upgrade their existing
networks
Speaking on
“GPON vs. DOCSIS 3.1 in Six Simple Points” Cimzar, insisted the customer should always be number one, which might
mean that cable operators who don’t deploy fiber might be left behind.
“In the current market,
cable operators are faced with an increasing number of competitors offering
fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services through gigabit-capable
Passive Optical Networks (GPON. By using the DOSCIS 3.0 standard today,
operators can theoretically offer gigabit services in the downstream, but find
themselves limited by the upstream throughput it provides,” he said.
Equally, Cimza ssiad, this
leaves operators with the quandary of whether to remain with the standard coax
network and upgrade to the newer DOCSIS 3.1 standard, or make
the leap and become FTTH operators themselves, just as he acknowledged that
operators must perform a balancing act when choosing between the two
options, a decision which the white paper further explores.
“The main question
operators must ask themselves is whether the service disruptions of the move
make changing from the coax network to a fiber-based solution unfeasible,”
said Cimzar, stressing, there are many facets to this decision, but the
business motivation is clear. Fiber deployments come at a lower Total Cost
of Ownership and provide a better return on the initial investment than DOCSIS
3.1, which can be migrated to at the same cost but requires further, continued
investment.
“Another important
factor to bear in mind is the potential for symmetrical upload and download
speeds that GPON offers – something which isn’t possible with cable,” he
said, insisting that once the operators take into account the higher ongoing
maintenance costs, smaller range of services offered and disruptive migration
to DOSCIS 3.1, it becomes clear that GPON provides an option that makes sense
for businesses and end-users alike.
“Customers’ perception is simple: fiber is the
future,” he added. “Cable operators are at a crucial juncture when it
comes to network evolution and those who try to move forward without fiber may find
themselves being left behind,” he submitted.
Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops
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