FTTH Handbook
Deployment and Operations Committee, Tom Bambury, Paul Ekpenyong, John Edwardspoint using only optical fibre cabling. This is the key differentiator to other types of broadband network.
In this section, we will be taking a closer look at these elements and how they are connected. Each central
point - also known as an access node or Point of Presence (POP) - contains electronic transmission (active)
equipment required to deliver applications and services to subscribers. End users of FTTH networks are
primarily located in their residences. However, a plethora of other end user locations are also possible,
including offices and wireless antenna sites.
Fibre offers the highest available bandwidth today and can transport huge volumes of data with the lowest
latency. Fibre can transport data faster than any other medium. It works well across long distances without
signal degradation or the need to boost the signal along the path. After installation, the performance of
fibre can be improved by changing the electronics while continuing to use the existing cable.
Unlike copper cables, fibre is immune to electromagnetic interference and weather conditions. This makes
fibre networks inherently more reliable and secure. Fibre cable can also improve CAPEX/OPEX thanks to
its relatively low cost, durability, and the fact it offers scope for adding services in future. In short, fibre-
optic cable is key to accommodating today’s increasingly bandwidth-hungry applications, as well as future
technologies.
Numerous studies indicate that fibre broadband brings a wide range of benefits, from increasing GDP and
employment to supporting job retention and new business creation. In fact, fibre networks - the ‘fourth
utility’ - are vital to our long-term economic and social future.