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Data centers and the move to 400G By Anabel Alarcon | May 2023
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FTTx build and connect

Deliver first-time-right quality to speed the construction and monetization of FTTx networks

FTTx build and connect
Overview Challenges Change drivers The opportunity Benefits Related products Resources
FTTx build and connect
Overview Challenges Change drivers The opportunity Benefits Related products Resources

Automated and on-demand testing during fiber network construction

EXFO’s remote fiber testing and monitoring (RFTM) solution enables FTTx service providers, alt-nets and their contractors to build high quality passive optical networks (PON) right from the start, reducing costly rework. With automated test data collection, get visibility on your fiber network inventory and accelerate activation and monetization.

Challenges

High failure rates

Double-digit failure rates during FTTx network construction, qualification, and activation are not uncommon. Fiber impairments—typically due to bad connectors, poor splicing, macrobending or crossed fibers—require costly truck rolls to locate and rework to fix, and additional time to test. This ultimately impacts the construction schedule and budget.

Limited visibility

Service providers and alt-nets working through contractors often have limited visibility into the quality and progress of the build during construction. Paper-based progress reports and test results require manual reconciliation before closing out work orders, which leads to delays in activation and monetization.

Skilled workforce challenge

Hiring and retaining skilled personnel is a challenge in a tight labor market. They are expensive to train on the use of complex devices and workflows and even more expensive to lose and replace. Keeping technicians busy in their fields of expertise makes it more likely that they will retain the skills that they learned.

Difficulty in scaling

Scaling and accelerating the network build is difficult while maintaining quality. Manual testing, qualification and validation of fibers as well as manual reconciliation of test data and work orders make it a challenge to achieve the fast tempo necessary to meet aggressive build schedules and hit return on investment targets.

Change drivers

With more people working and learning from home, residential networks are under pressure. Service providers are leveraging FTTx initiatives to meet the need for 5G densification. National broadband strategies offer subsidies for deploying fiber internet access but come with tight schedules. Pure-play fiber providers are racing to be first to market. The most successful are building and monetizing networks at a high tempo.

Building and activating FTTx networks at scale and at a high cadence requires quality right from the start.

Impacts

Remote working and learning

Bandwidth requirements have spiked as more people are doing more things online from home.

Network convergence

5G network densification is driving initiatives to leverage FTTx network buildouts. More fiber means more testing.

National broadband initiatives

Funds for country-wide deployment of fiber-based internet access come with strings attached.

Aggressive competition

The first providers to market are securing the service provider relationships that fund investments.

The opportunity

There is an opportunity to build and connect FTTx networks differently. It’s one where the network has been tested, validated and automatically documented prior to customer activation. There is full visibility of the built network and a single source of truth that speeds troubleshooting. As a result, there is less need for follow-on work by technicians and the time to monetization is compressed.

Building “first time right” quality into the network is an investment that pays immediate and future dividends

Doing it differently

Reduction in fiber impairments

100% of fiber connections tested (automated and on-demand), qualified, and documented.

Less rework and repairs

On-demand testing enables technicians to qualify the fiber before leaving the site.

Full visibility

Centralized reporting of build progress and network quality enable optimal use of personnel and assets.

Faster monetization

Fiber networks can be monetized sooner thanks to hassle-free customer activation.

Benefits

By engineering quality into the network with exhaustive and effort-less testing at each step of the build, it is possible to construct the network faster, minimize rework and limit truck rolls, activate customers and monetize sooner.

Future-proof

RFTM features are cloud-ready—while offering support for local deployment—featuring micro-services-based architecture, comprehensive security and support for multiple use cases. In addition to testing 100% of fibers, RFTM can be used to monitor and assure the entire fiber lifecycle. Keep track of your fiber network health and get ready to plan and roll-out future upgrades to XGS-PON or beyond faster than other operators.

Flexible

RFTM supports point-to-point (P2P) and point-to-multipoint (P2MP) testing and monitoring scenarios. It offers flexibility in deployment as well, with centralized test heads and remote switches deployed close to the build. A suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) enable integration of RFTM testing and reporting into existing workflows.

Efficient

RFTM is OPEX- and CAPEX-efficient, enabling industrialized massive fiber testing at scale. RFTM helps to optimize the deployment of field technicians, testing hardware and repair tools. It provides comprehensive reporting and dashboards that enable effective management of field technicians and assets (portable devices, vehicles).

Products

Remote Fiber Testing and Monitoring (RFTM)

Intelligent OTDR-based solution for testing and monitoring fiber links

RTU-2

Centralized testing powerhouse for PON and P2P

Next steps

Deliver first-time-right quality from the start

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