Why “fiber connections” have an attraction for the CATV providers

A number of factors are increasing the interest among telecommunications providers in offering the “triple play” services of voice, video and high-speed data access. Most importantly, subscribers are finding a growing number of applications that drive their desire for higher bandwidth, including Internet access, interactive games, and video delivery. Network providers are anxious to provide new services that increase their revenue opportunities. This is especially important as incumbent telephone network providers compete with wireless mobile providers and VoIP for voice service revenues.  

In North America and some other regions, community access television (CATV) providers (sometimes called “cable” providers) are also competing to offer subscribers triple play services over their cable networks.  In some cases, national or regional governments have been strongly encouraging and subsidizing a triple play service-capable infrastructure. 

FTTH Basic Principle

The resulting potential regional/national advantages could include the use of telecommuting to reduce transportation infrastructure costs, improving the workforce skill level through distance learning, and creating a more desirable location in order to attract new companies and workers to the region. 

Although there has been interest in the potential of triple play services for over 25 years, we are finally reaching the point where there are enough subscriber applications to create adequate demand for the services, and the technology has matured to the point where it is becoming cost effective to deliver them.

Telephone and CATV networks both have historically relied on copper wires to connect through the “Last mile” to their subscribers.  

The coaxial cable of the CATV companies has superior bandwidth capabilities relative to the twisted pair wiring from telephone companies, and some telephone companies have considered deploying their own coaxial cable networks.  However, the coaxial cable must be shared by many subscribers in order to be economical. 

Also, most of the coaxial cable’s bandwidth is divided into channels for downstream broadcast video channels, leaving limited bandwidth available for broad-band upstream traffic and services such as video on-demand (VoD). 

Clearly, the most flexible and “future-proof” medium is fiber, with its virtually unlimited bandwidth availability.  For telephone network providers, fiber connections are attractive as a way to leapfrog the capabilities of the CATV providers.

Related Knowledge:

DWDM OADM Module

Blockless PLC splitter

Three Fiber Access Network Architectures

FTTH Development Background and history

International Fiber-to-the-home Broadband Connection Development