2020.02 ISSUE 88 16 Latin American operators accelerate full-fiber deployment with unique FTTH model Copper networks have provided long-term returns for Latin American operators, but with bandwidth requirements increasing and the efficiency of copper coverage falling, the copper lifecycle is coming to an end. Latin American operators were quick to set out strategies to build full-fiber network infrastructure, developing a unique Latin American FTTH development model. By Zhao Maiqing, former CEO, China Telecom Sichuan Focus
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2020.02 ISSUE 8816
Latin American operators accelerate full-fiber deployment with unique FTTH modelCopper networks have provided long-term returns for Latin American operators, but with bandwidth requirements increasing and the efficiency of copper coverage falling, the copper lifecycle is coming to an end. Latin American operators were quick to set out strategies to build full-fiber network infrastructure, developing a unique Latin American FTTH development model.
By Zhao Maiqing, former CEO, China Telecom Sichuan
Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 88 17
Latin American operators accelerate full-fiber deployment with unique FTTH model
Full-fiber networks are essential
for global operators to build
competitiveness with full-service
operations. In Latin America,
operators have been pioneers in setting
out a development path towards full-fiber
networks.
After two years of developing fiber-to-the-
home (FTTH) services, the number of FTTH
users in Latin America continues to grow at
a rapid rate. Data shows that 9.18 million
FTTH nodes were built across the region as
a whole in 2019, a 29-percent year-on-year
increase, and the number of new FTTH users
was 5.27 million, a year-on-year growth of
39 percent.
The biggest challenge: ODN networks
As is the case with leading operators
worldwide, IPTV and 4K services have been
key drivers of service development for Latin
American operators. With the swift increase
in FTTH node construction in the region,
user churn for copper and cable broadband
has also increased. More providers are
realizing that replacing copper cable
networks with full-fiber networks is critical
for attracting new users, slashing operating
costs, enhancing maintenance efficiency,
and accelerating the construction of full-
fiber networks.
However, with the acceleration of FTTH
construction in recent years, Latin American
operators have discovered that the pace of
ODN network infrastructure construction,
which accounts for about 70 percent of
FTTH investment, has seriously hindered
FTTH development. The complexity of
ODN planning, high construction costs,
long cycles, and difficult O&M are the
core challenges facing operators in the
region wanting to drive forward full-fiber
strategies.
First, manual ODN network planning and
design makes it difficult to cope with
diverse network environments, including
various scenarios such as CBDs, urban,
and rural, or guarantee optimal investment
efficiency. Moreover, it delivers uneven
quality and low efficiency, only allowing for
500 lines of HLD (high-level design) or 100
lines of LLD (low-level design) per person-
day on average.
Second, ODN construction requires a large
number of highly-skilled workers and
specialized equipment. For example, to install
a fiber access terminal (FAT), installation
involves over 20 processes, including fiber
optic cable and loose tube peeling, fiber
removal, splicing, and sealing, taking two
technicians 1.5 to 2 hours. As a result, single-
core optical fiber splicing can cost US$10 or
more.
Finally, due to a lack of ODN resource
management tools, Latin American operators
generally take a week or more to roll out and
troubleshoot FTTH services, which impacts
the growth of FTTH broadband services.
Therefore, Latin American operators have
been seeking end-to-end solutions for ODN
planning, construction, installation, and
O&M.
Data shows that 9.18 million FTTH nodes were built across Latin America in 2019, a 29-percent year-on-year increase, and the number of new FTTH users was 5.27 million, a year-on-year growth of 39 percent.
/ Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 8818
DQ ODN (Digitalized QuickODN)
Huawei and a number of Latin American
operators have jointly launched the DQ
ODN solution based on business needs and
local service development requirements to
help these operators build ODN networks
efficiently.
In terms of network planning and design,
Huawei adopts a fully digital approach
supported by intelligent analysis and rich
experience models. Using integrated tools
and platforms, such as SmartCapex and
uNetBuilder, Huawei helps customers locate
the best value areas, design optimum
paths, and efficiently integrate deployment
to help them achieve their business goals.
Huawei’s automatic network design tool
leverages intelligent algorithms, such as
neural networks, to quickly find the best
design-balancing device location, route to
the user, and coverage area. This can help
a skilled engineer boost daily design output
tenfold.
In terms of network construction, unequal
ratio pre-connection is one of the solutions
Huawei and Latin American operators have
developed. The solution removes the need for
any splicing throughout the ODN construction
process, dramatically improving network
deployment efficiency.
In Latin America, the conventional splicing
solution requires a 12/24-core distribution
cable, with optical cables stripped and spliced
at each FAT. The boxes and fiber optic cables
are installed sequentially. Not only is heavy
equipment required to lay the fiber optic
cable, the technical requirements and serial
deployment for FAT installation greatly impact
deployment efficiency.
With the unequal ratio pre-connecting
solution, FATs are connected by a pre-
connected single-core fiber optic cable,
with the box completely decoupled from
the optical cable. This supports parallel
deployment, the pre-connections reduce
technical requirements, and laying single-core
fiber optic cables eliminates reliance on heavy
equipment. Based on one Latin American
operator’s experience, the unequal ratio pre-
connection solution can help slash TCO by 25
percent and TTM by 30 percent.
Since Huawei launched the DQ ODN solution
in 2019, it has been rolled out across Latin
America, garnering high praise from local
operators and helping them complete the
construction of approximately 1 million FTTH
lines.
Accelerating digital innovation in ODN networks
With the number of FTTH nodes built by Latin
American operators constantly rising and
with changes to users, both churn and new
customers, network resource management
problems relating to ODN resources due to
paper transfers, manual inputting, and de-
installation without disconnection have
become increasingly prominent, leading to
huge financial waste. Data shows that over 5
years, resource inaccuracy leads to between
20 and 30 percent of sunk ODN resources for
operators worldwide. Low resource accuracy
Since Huawei launched the DQ ODN solution in 2019, it has been rolled out across Latin America, garnering high praise from local operators and helping them complete the construction of approximately 1 million FTTH lines.
Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 88 19
is also one of the main factors behind
troubleshooting difficulties and slow service
provisioning faced by operators.
Latin American operators and Huawei
continue to carry out joint innovation on
ODN networks and explore solutions for
the management problem of dumb ODN
resources through ODN digitalization.
Huawei launched a lightweight digital
ODN solution in 2019 that uses AI and
image recognition technology. The solution
supports the automatic collection of ODN
equipment and GIS information during
the network construction phase and the
automatic creation of the physical topology
of nodes during the service provisioning
phase, boosting the long-term accuracy of
ODN resources to 100 percent.
In 2020, Huawei will also enhance
the digital capability of the DQ ODN
solution to enable end-to-end visualized
management of dumb ODN resources
through technological innovation,
supporting accurate resource management,
precise troubleshooting, and rapid service
provisioning. The solution will protect
operator investment and cut OPEX.
Accurate resource management: During
network construction, equipment GIS and
topology are automatically collected and
uploaded using image recognition, all
nodes are automatically accepted remotely
without the need for repeated site visits,
and all networking resources are accurate.
During service provisioning, the logical
topology among equipment ports, the ONT,
and users is automatically generated, and
updated in real time. The usage of ports is
clearly visible, with 100 percent long-term
accuracy.
Precise troubleshooting: Using big data and AI
algorithms, end-to-end ODN faults are easily
diagnosed. The faults can be demarcated in
minutes, located to a precision of meters,
and closed within six hours.
Rapid service provisioning: The digitalized
ODN resource foundation and Huawei’s rapid
service provisioning system APS Cloud are
interconnected with the data and connected
to operators' resource management systems.
This supports one-stop service handling and
one-click device activation, without the need
for repeated site visits for checking resources.
The success rate of service provisioning with
one visit is 100 percent, and the average
service provisioning cycle is less than three
days.
In Latin America, major operators are racing
to push forward their full-fiber strategies
and continue to increase FTTH investment.
Looking ahead, Huawei and Latin American
operators’ continued innovation in
basic fiber networks will decrease ODN
network construction and O&M costs
further, and bring ultimate broadband
service experiences to Latin American fiber
broadband users.
At the same time, Latin American operators
and Huawei’s achievements in full-fiber
networks will help operators globally build
better basic fiber networks for the gigabit era
and enable the development of the global
gigabit fiber broadband industry.
Latin American operators accelerate full-fiber deployment with unique FTTH model / Focus