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The Future of FTTH Beyond The Last Mile

Sept. 1, 2016
4 Things to Evaluate to Ensure a Win/Win for Your Customers Constant connectivity is the new normal. No place is that more apparent than in our homes, where we use […]

4 Things to Evaluate to Ensure a Win/Win for Your Customers

Constant connectivity is the new normal. No place is that more apparent than in our homes, where we use buttons to reorder household goods online and stream video in multiple rooms — all while enjoying second-screen experiences.

Customer expectations are only growing, putting pressure on the telecommunications industry to deliver higher bandwidth connectivity at a faster pace. This is the future of FTTH, and the big question is How do service providers keep up?

The short answer is by making smart decisions about today’s technology, and planning for expansions that are as seamless as the coverage they’re promising.

Going Beyond
For years, the industry has focused on The Last Mile. Service providers, contractors, and vendors have brought fiber all the way up to the doorstep and considered that a connection. But really, that was just the beginning. It’s a new age, one in which it’s imperative to bring fiber further into a home to ensure connectivity that can support modern households.

Just as homeowners can easily connect to a copper telephone jack, the future of FTTH will enable them to connect to a fiber jack as well.

One unfortunate consequence of stopping at The Last Mile is customer churn. Patchy or slow connections send customers packing quickly, and in today’s market, there’s a competitor waiting with promises of better, more convenient services. It’s eating into the bottom line, and everyone is feeling the crunch.

So how will you differentiate your offering? Start by assessing each and every home in your network. Ask whether they are fit for fiber, and if not, start looking for ways to bring fiber to the center of the home.

Thankfully, communications technology manufacturers now produce a streamlined ONT/router/wireless access device for the home. Placed in a central location, the device enables high-bandwidth media distribution for the entire home. It’s a huge leap forward resulting in fewer communication devices per customer — and potentially less inventory for carriers.

Location is everything for these multi-purpose units. Placing them on an outer wall near the outdoor ONT, however, isn’t ideal. These devices require a central location to transmit a strong, even signal throughout the home. That means the industry needs to rethink some of the traditional methods and technology involved in readying a house for fiber beyond The Last Mile.

Fiber pathways that transition from outside to inside the home offer installers simple installation and homeowners near invisibility inside their living space.

Another leading trend in seamless FTTH deployment is customer self-installation (CSI). Ideal for new builds or pre-networked neighborhoods, the carrier ships out a box with an indoor ONT, a fiber jumper, and simple instructions for locating your home’s fiber jack and connecting the ONT. The installation can be made at the customer’s leisure — no truck roll required. And in most cases, the installation takes a short amount of time.

Aside from convenience for customers, a future with fiber jacks standard in every home is a future that saves truck roll and equipment costs.

Options for Seamless FTTH
Seamless FTTH deployments stand to offer a triple-win in network expansions with benefits for customers, contractors, and carriers. But there are a few things worth considering as you plan to go beyond The Last Mile.

Consideration A: Damage Potential
One of the worst things that can happen during a network installation is damaging a customer’s home or property. If it happens it may not be your technician’s fault since you can’t control the obstacles your installers will face in the field. What you can control is the kind of work they’ll have to do when they get there. Fiber-installation products with hot-melt adhesives or staple guns amplify damage potential. Understanding the risks that come with those products is important.

Consideration B: Minimal Downtime
Generally, you want your installers in and out of a customer’s home as fast as possible. And, while they are there, you want them to be busy. Certain FTTH products require downtime (e.g., waiting for glue to dry) during the installation. This lag time can be awkward for both customers and installers.

Consideration C: No Fishing Zones
Not all, but many attics are messy, cluttered, and filled with insulation. They aren’t a place you want your installers to work as it can make for a more time-consuming installation.

If you choose an FTTH method that involves fishing fiber, your installers may have to spend time in an attic or a crawlspace. These places aren’t typically well maintained and can be dirty, hot, and hazardous. It’s worth considering a product that avoids fishing fiber to avoid these places in a home.

Consideration D: Clean and Clear Connections
Building out a fiber network is expensive. There are a lot of people involved, plus expensive equipment and technology. It’s worth doing it right the first time. That means ensuring the best, longest-lasting and most reliable connections possible. It’s not a place to cut corners because if you do, you’ll just be back again to fix it. Truck rolls are costly and even worse, your customers will jump ship for a carrier claiming more reliable connectivity.

Your customers want a fiber system that can transition from outside to inside, leaving the smallest trace. And once inside, the right fiber solution should blend into the environment.

Thankfully, there is a solution that meets their needs: the 3M™ Clear Fiber Drop Cable and 3M™ Clear Track Fiber Pathway. This system transitions fiber inside a home and routes it to a central location with near invisibility. It’s your answer to seamless FTTH deployments that are fit for now and the future.

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About the Author

Jay Borer

Jay Borer is the FTTH Strategic Business Lead for 3M Communication Markets Division, enabling 3M’s global customer base with innovative FTTH deployment solutions. For more information, please visit www.3M.com/telecom.