Viewpoint
It’s all too easy to overlook the fact that the quality of the network depends on the quality of the fibre cable, points out Richard Moyes, Digital Solutions Business Director at Prysmian
In building an effective digital infrastructure the hero of the network is (or should be) the fibre optic cable. As it generally accounts for only a fraction of the cost of installing a high-speed broadband service, however, it can be regarded as a commodity. It shouldn’t be: product quality and innovation are essential for the roll-out and long term performance of the networks currently being built.
Let’s focus on one issue that is slowing the installation of new connections: crowded ductwork. Many, if not most, new networks in urban areas rely on existing infrastructure and the competitive nature of fibre rollout means that already crowded ducts are pushed to capacity by overbuilding.
Overbuilding is not going to disappear: there are already 4.4 million overbuild premises (14% of the UK market) where both alt-net and Openreach services are available.
Market analysis for the Financial Times found that network operators collectively have plans to connect to around 80 million premises, in a nation with a total of 32 million premises. This indicates how many operators are likely to be targeting the same premises. It also points to a lot more fibre being installed, placing further pressure on already crowded ducts, particularly as the installation of new poles is becoming increasingly problematic.
Prysmian’s innovative response to duct overcrowding has been to steadily reduce the diameter of its fibre cable. Its Sirocco Extreme 864f microduct is its most recent advance. This novel cable has 864 fibres housed within a 9.8mm diameter cable providing a fibre density of 11.5 fibres per square millimetre. Importantly, it is possible to install this fibre in ducts with as little spare capacity as a 12mm diameter void.
In addition, this high-density fibre is ideal for use with innovative installation techniques such as overblowing, enabling it to be installed in quickly and easily in already crowded ducts with the additional benefit that it helps minimise access requirements.
Once installed, the network has to operate efficiently. With increasing reliance on digital technology, the consequences of disruption become more significant, meaning that the quality of the products and technologies used to build the networks should never be compromised.
Digital networks are made up of various elements, each with different expected lifespans. Terminal equipment, for example, is expected to last for three to five years; active equipment for around 10 years; while the passive fibre optic cabling forming the infrastructure’s backbone is expected to be operational for a minimum of 30 years and likely as long as 50 years. As part of its development of the Scirocco cable family, Prysmian carried out accelerated aging testing to demonstrate the product’s 50 plus year operational life
Crucially, this digital backbone is being built and will be maintained by privately funded commercial entities. The challenge they face is in selecting a fibre optic cable to deliver the optimum balance between performance and economic criteria.
The passive fibre infrastructure represents the most significant element of the overall cost of a network build. While this CAPEX is an important initial outlay, OPEX will be incurred repeatedly over the network’s lifetime, so it is essential for a provider not to give too much priority to reducing investment costs at the expense of operating and maintenance costs.
What’s more, replacement of this passive infrastructure will be even more costly, particularly where access to underground or aerial cables is difficult, and a network is live with customers connected.
Fibre longevity and long-term performance are the result of quality. Fibre quality will become increasingly important as the UK network market matures, and successful alt-nets seek to consolidate their position in the market with acquisitions. Organisations looking to merge with, or to acquire another network, would be wise to look closely at their potential liabilities, including the expected lifespan of the installed fibre infrastructure.
That said, it is up to network providers to decide on an appropriate fibre optic specification to give certainty of quality and performance. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) addresses system interoperability while international standards organisations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) are responsible for specific performance and testing regimes.
Fibre quality is the result of more than 150 parameters, so how can network providers be sure that a particular manufacturer’s product is robust and of appropriate quality?
Europacable is the association representing Europe’s leading cable and fibre optic manufacturers. To ensure the quality of members’ products, the association has introduced a Charter, which requires an organisation to be committed to the principles and objective of ethical, sustainable, and high-quality cable development and manufacturing.
As a signatory to the Charter, Prysmian is committed not only to meeting the basic requirements of the law but also is committed to continuous achievement in the areas such as product compliance and innovation, health and safety and environmental performance. And, if further evidence were needed, Prysmian’s innovative Sirocco Extreme 864f microduct cable is proof of the company’s commitment to this charter, to quality and to innovation.
