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