FTTx the answer for rising bandwidth demands

Many businesses and consumers are in a position where they are demanding a substantial amount of bandwidth for operations such as video streaming and application delivery. The end result is a situation in which the move toward mobile networks may not be as all-encompassing of a solution as some pundits may think. A recent CiOL report explained that while there is some demand for mobile-based broadband networks to replace fixed-broadband solutions, end-user bandwidth demand is likely going to be too significant for these solutions to take up a large portion of the market. As a result, fiber-to-the-premise (FTTx) solutions could end up playing a prominent role in a wide range of settings.

Mobile networks not necessarily the answer
According to the news source, analysis of recent LTE network deployments used in place of fixed broadband networks indicates that mobile networks are only suitable for niche audiences, not as a primary solution for home or business users. Most LTE deployments designed to supplant fixed broadband are built around a bandwidth cap of approximately 30 GB of data per month. These options cost approximately the same as similar mobile data plans designed for smartphones, and generally come with a charge for every GB consumed above the 30 GB limit.

The report explained that this bandwidth limitation is a major problem for mobile networks. Most consumers use much more than 30 GB of bandwidth, and the rise of IP video solutions for the home are leading to escalating data use, something that LTE solutions are not equipped to handle. As a result, the ease and low cost of LTE infrastructure may not end up making sense in many areas because FTTx infrastructure is better equipped to meet customer demand.

While LTE networks may still work as a niche service in markets where FTTx networks are already established, the news source said that FTTx has become the go-to option in emerging markets, as the technology is necessary to meet bandwidth requirements.

Establishing FTTx infrastructure
Fiber to Ethernet media converters are a vital cog in the FTTx landscape. Telecoms establishing FTTx infrastructure can face crippling costs trying to build and configure the network. Compatibility issues play a vital role in this problem. Media conversion solutions overcome this interoperability gap through a cost-efficient architecture that can streamline the entire network deployment process. This is especially true as the technology eases the entire network implementation and by simplifying the cabling architecture.

Perle has an extensive range of Managed and Unmanaged Fiber Media Converters to extended copper-based Ethernet equipment over a fiber optic link, multimode to multimode and multimode to single mode fiber up to 160km.