Network operator CityFibre has given ISPreview an update on the effort to upgrade their GPON based Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network for ISPs to XGS-PON, which can handle broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps (Gigabits per second). However, not much progress seems to have been made since the end of 2023, but it is still moving forward.
In case anybody has forgotten, CityFibre started their upgrade in the spring of 2023 (here). The operator’s network previously used Calix’s GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) technology and this invariably places constraints on how much capacity can be delivered to each end user (i.e. GPON shares capacity of 2.48Gbps downstream and 1.24Gbps upstream between 8 to 32 users).
By comparison the switch to XGS-PON, using kit and services from both Nokia and Calix, has enabled them to support symmetric speeds of 10Gbps (9.953Gbps to be exact). But like most providers using this type of platform, they initially started (here) by offering a more modest top tier of 2.5Gbps to supporting ISPs and consumers (e.g. Vodafone, TalkTalk, Zen Internet and many more).
However, the challenge for ISPs has been in the limited coverage of CityFibre’s XGS-PON platform, which hasn’t been expanding as quickly as some might have liked. The operator had previously set a target for 90% of its fibre exchanges and 20% of its ‘Ready for Service‘ (RFS) footprint (premises) to be upgraded by the end of 2023, so we were a little surprised to find that not much had changed.
A spokesperson for CityFibre told ISPreview:
“The rollout of XGS-PON across our network continues at pace, with equipment deployed into over 90% of our fibre exchanges and new XGS-PON products already available to around 20% of our ready for service footprint as planned.
We are pleased by the progress to date but are committed to further accelerating the upgrade of our entire network to XGS-PON, supporting the introduction of an expanded symmetrical multi-gigabit product portfolio for our ISP partners and delivering world-class full fibre broadband to millions of homes.”
The catch in all this is that CityFibre has often been coy about saying precisely when they’d achieve 100% coverage of their network or close to that, which makes it difficult to judge their progress. But after a bit of nudging, we were eventually told that the operator was “on track to double our XGS-PON footprint to 40% by the end of the year” (RFS premises).
Put another way, if the operator continues to do c.20% each year then it could take another three years to complete the upgrade (by the end of 2027). But ISPreview understands that CityFibre will be looking to further accelerate the upgrade of their network throughout 2025, which could yet change that calculation in a more positive direction.
In relation to all this, we recently noted that one ISP, Yayzi Broadband, appeared to be conducting trials (here) of “upgrades on demand … so if we get X interest in an area for 2.3Gb then when it reaches this point they will upgrade the local node“, which could make it quicker for some areas to benefit from the top speeds. But we understand that CityFibre isn’t currently looking to shift to a demand led approach for XGS-PON upgrades.
However, it is very important to remember that even the top GPON package (2Gbps down and 1Gbps upload) is still exceptionally fast, and more than the vast majority of UK consumers would either need or even be able to fully harness today.
The alternative network operator currently still aspires to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new full fibre network (funded by c.£2.4bn in equity, c.£4.9bn debt and c.£800m of BDUK / public subsidy) – representing c.30% of the UK. So far, they’ve covered around 3.8m premises and have connected 400,000 customers (8th May 2024), but are also known to be hunting for fresh investment (here).