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Proprietary and Confidential -- This information is for use by Uptown Services, LLC and its clients only.

Fiber to the Home

Michael Crowell

Technology Services Manager

City of Salisbury


• “Fiber to the Home” is defined as a telecommunications architecture in which a communications path is provided over optical fiber cables extending from the telecommunications operator’s switching equipment to (at least) the boundary of the home living space or business office space.

(FTTH Council - 11 August 2006 )

Fiber to the Home (FTTH)


• In other words –

FTTH is a fiber cable that runs from the central office (the headend) to each person’s house or business. There is no copper cable anywhere in the cable plant. This compares to the incumbents network which is Fiber to the Node (FTTN).

Fiber to the Home (FTTH)


• “Fiber to the Node”, also called fiber to the neighborhood, is a telecommunication architecture based on fiber-optic cables run to a cabinet serving a neighborhood. Customers connect to this cabinet using traditional coaxial cable or twisted pair wiring. The area served by the cabinet is usually less than 5000 ft in radius and can contain several hundred customers.

(FTTH Council - 11 August 2006 )

Fiber to the Node (FTTN)


• In other words –

The cable plant does include fiber, but only to a point. From that point copper cable is used, either as coax (for cable providers) or twisted pair (for telcos). This use of copper cable greatly reduces the bandwidth of the system. Also, the total bandwidth is shared among a greater number of subscribers.

Fiber to the Node (FTTN)


Fiber Use in the Outside Plant


• Fiber is terminated at a remote terminal (RT)• The RT is positioned up to 5,000 feet from the subscribers• Each RT will serve three to 500 subscribers• FTTN utilizes existing twisted pair to connect to each home• Signals over copper significantly degrade over long distances,

directly affecting the bandwidth capability

Problems with at&t’s U-verse (Fiber to the Node)


• Similar to FTTN, except coax cable in place of copper twisted pair

• Similar to FTTN, each node typically supports 3 to 500 homes• Data users experience degraded performance as more users are

added to the network (shared bandwidth from node to homes)• Low upstream data rate makes current HFC design primarily a

residential offering• HFC was originally designed to provide video to homes,

therefore the reason for the limited upstream rate• HFC is old technology by electronic standards with all the easy

upgrades already made

Problems with Time Warner(Hybrid Fiber Coax)


• DSL and cable networks cannot offer the speeds required by a city wishing to compete in the digital economy.

• Business, government, and citizens all need affordable, fast access to information networks.

• As capacity grows, speed diminishes with local providers’ current infrastructure.

Problems with Current Providers


What would FTTH allow the City to do?

• Local Determination– As applications and technology change, the COMMUNITY

can decide when they need upgrades for faster speeds, rather than hoping their needs coincide with Time Warner and AT&T stockholder interests.

• Community Benefits– Local events provided as video on demand

• High School sports• Plays and concerts• Government meetings• Parades• Graduations

– Advertising by local merchants– Tourist channel

• Affordable Triple Play (Video, voice, and data)


FTTH helps define successful communities just as good water, power, climate and transportation have defined them for millennia.

• Hometown businesses can now compete in a global economy

• Professionals and others can work from home.• Quality of life is enhanced by online entertainment,

education, culture, and ecommerce.

• FTTH attracts the creative class along with the young professionals.

FTTH and Economic Development


• Automated meter reading• Video Conferencing• Security cameras• Telecommuting • Immediate emergency notification• Internet gaming• International TV programming• Educational network• Telemedicine and home health

monitoring• Digital Signage

Other potential benefits


Fiber Speed Example


• Speedmatters.org– Organization that promotes broadband in the US

• Vudu– Appliance to provide Video on Demand

Speed Tests

http://www.speedmatters.org/speed-test/?src=webbadge_onsite

http://www.vudu.com/


• Chattanooga, TN– Connecting first customer early 2009– Full build out in 5 years

• Lafayette, LA– Connecting first customer early 2009– Full build out 2011– Sold $110.4 million in bonds to finance project

Municipal FTTH since March


• Triple Play– Video– Voice

• Unlimited local and long distance– Data

• Email• Basic security such as spam filtering

• Gaming• Basic Data Services

– Backup– Web hosting– Synchronization of data with mobile devices– Managed Security Services

Salisbury’s plan


• Greenlight: Bundle & Save Home Packages

http://www.greenlightnc.com/home/packages


• LastMile Magazine– Magazine on Broadband Design and Deployment– Ryan McCaigue, President of Ivy League Consulting

• My daughter is connecting with others and learning in new ways that are just amazing. She is learning Japanese, listing to native speakers online, video-conferencing with new friends in Japan and sharing stories and artwork. She falls into the 70 percent of teens who would rather give up TV than her computer with Internet access. This global broadband connectivity always has been and always will be a part of her life.

Unfortunately the vast majority of U.S. citizens are not participants in this engine for change and growth.


• LastMile Magazine– Magazine on Broadband Design and Deployment– Ryan McCaigue, President of Ivy League Consulting

• Connectivity is no longer a luxury. It is no longer an option. It is a requirement. We must push broadband connectivity to the corners of our country. We must push down the cost of access. Without low cost high-speed access, we will lose our competitive and economic edge in the global marketplace. The demand for connectivity to compete in an increasingly connected world alone is enough to justify a sustained state and national commitment to building broadband networks.

• Geoff Daily– Washington, DC based technology journalist and broadband activist

http://app-rising.com/2008/10/my_first_campfiber_experience.html


• City began investigating FTTH in 2005

• Report made to City Council at Retreat on February 9, 2006

• City Council adopted at its Annual Retreat on February 10, 2006 the Goal of “Prepare and implement a Fiber To The Home business plan” and reaffirmed it at the 2007 Retreat

• City Council appointed a FTTH subcommittee on March 7, 2006

Where are we?


• Council approved a contract with Uptown Services, LLC to do a feasibility study on April 18, 2006

• Initial report made to Council Subcommittee on June 12, 2006

• Presentation to council was made on Sept 7, 2007• Report made to council at council retreat on Feb

15th, 2008• Council adopts “Implement FTTH plan” as one

of the tactical goals for 2008• Public Hearing was set at council meeting March

4th, 2008

Major Steps


• Held initial meeting with LGC September 11th, 2008• Sent out RFP for “Fiber Design Build” July 8th, 2008• Received bids August 11th, 2008• Seeking approval from the Local Government

Commission in early November• Hope to have the bonds available to sell November 20th.

Major Steps


•Questions?

• Michael Crowell– 704-638-5314– [email protected]

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