Fiber To The Home

FTTH- Fiber to the Home Market Penetrations

American Tech Supply as a TIA member has invested its resources the past couple of years to offer it's resources for anyone interested in the Fiber To The Home trend. We welcome working and partnering with developers, builders, contractors, CLEC's, Carriers and the Regional Bell Operating companies (RBOC's). Because of the overbuild of fiber to the hub in the late 1990's and the recession of the early 2000's, most fiber to the home projects were placed on hold. Recently Verizon announced a $ 1 billion fiber to the home RFQ and SBC in June 2004 announced a $ 6 billion request -(click here for article) for quote for future fiber to the home projects. We are excited as are many other suppliers and vendors in the fiber optic arena as these are the first signs of an emerging fiber optics long term expansion.

--------Up To Date FTTH News-

The FTTH Council and TIA Release Updated "U.S. Optical Fiber Communities" List May 2004
Latest analysis shows average subscriber take rates exceed 40 percent

FTTH Switch Products----
WASHINGTON - May 19, 2004 - The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced today an updated list of "U.S. Optical Fiber Communities," with the total rising to 128 communities in 32 states. Prepared by Render, Vanderslice & Associates and TeleChoice, the list tracks communities nationwide that are delivering broadband services to customers through FTTH solutions.

Thirty-six communities representing a cross-section of America were added to the list, including Indian Head, Pa.; Jackson, Tenn.; St. Marys, Ohio; Joshua, Texas; Holiway, Minn.; Clovis, N.M.; Jamestown, N.D.; Gypsum, Colo.; Scio, Ore.; and Phoenix, Ariz. The list shows that FTTH deployments continue to be driven by municipalities, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and new residential developments.

The new analysis shows a significant increase in FTTH subscribers, with average subscriber take rates exceeding 40 percent overall and more than 75 percent in some communities.

One new FTTH community is Jackson, Tennessee, where Jackson Energy Authority (JEA) is building a 658-mile fiber-optic network. An innovative public-private collaboration, JEA provides customers with cable television and has partnered with local Internet service providers (ISPs) and CLECs to offer high-speed Internet, telephone and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services. Jackson began service this April with 350 customers and plans to complete construction to pass 26,000 homes within the next 18 months.

"We have just started our marketing efforts and are very excited by the high take rates," said Kim Kersey, senior vice president of telecommunications for JEA. "Customers are thrilled by the capabilities of this system."

Also joining the list is St. Marys, Ohio, where competitive local exchange carrier TSC has overbuilt the pre-existing copper network to provide high-speed Internet, telephone and cable television service to this city of approximately 9,000 people. Since launching its FTTH network in St. Marys, TSC has experienced a 75 percent subscriber rate.

"This technology offers the most advanced communications in the world," said St. Marys Mayor Greg Freewalt. "We are confident it will help attract new businesses to our community."

The FTTH communities list is available at www.ftthcouncil.org and www.tiaonline.org.

About the Fiber-to-the-Home Council:
The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council is a non-profit organization established in 2001 to educate the public on the opportunities and benefits of fiber-to-the-home solutions. FTTH Council members represent all areas of broadband industries, including telecommunications, computing, networking, system integration, engineering, and content-provider companies, as well as traditional telecommunications service providers, utilities and municipalities. Communities and organizations interested in exploring FTTH options can find information on the FTTH Council Web site at https://www.ftthcouncil.org or by e-mailing info@ftthcouncil.org.


About the Telecommunications Industry Association:
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is the leading trade organization serving the communications and IT industry, with proven strengths in standards development, domestic and international public policy, and trade shows. Through its worldwide activities, TIA facilitates business development opportunities and a competitive market environment. The association provides a forum for its member companies, the manufacturers and suppliers of products and services used in global communications. TIA represents the communications sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). Visit us at https://www.tiaonline.org.

SBC "Project Lightspeed Targets Rapid Fiber to the Node Deployment
SBC Communications vowed to dramatically accelerate its plan to build a new fiber-optics network into neighborhoods, following the FCC's ruling clarifying broadband rules. SBC now aims to provide 18 million households with "super high-speed data, video and voice services" by year-end 2007 -- rather than five years as previously announced.

NEW NEWS! The FCC also clarified that incumbent LECs are not obligated to build time division multiplexing (TDM) capability into new packet-based networks or into existing packet-based networks that never had TDM capability.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell said "By limiting the unbundling obligations of incumbents when they roll out deep fiber networks to residential consumers, we restore the marketplace incentives of carriers to invest in new networks. "

In a dissenting statement, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps wrote "Though today’s Order speaks in glowing terms about broadband relief, the reality is far less radiant. I don’t believe competitive telecommunications have been faring very well under our watch and this particular proceeding strikes me as yet another in a series of prescriptions this Commission is willing to write to end competitive access to last mile facilities. It seems every month brings a new onslaught.. The loop represents the prized last mile of communications. Putting it beyond the reach of competitors can only entrench incumbents who already hold sway. Monopoly control of the last mile created all kinds of problems for basic telephone service in the last century, and now we seem bent on replicating that sad story for advanced services in the digital age."
https://www.fcc.gov
14-Oct-04

In its Triennial Review Order released last year, the FCC ruled that the broadband capabilities of fiber loops that extend to a customer’s premises, also known as FTTH loops, would not be subject to unbundling under section 251 of the Act.
In August 2004, the FCC issued an order clarifying fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) rules and relieving the incumbent LECs from certain unbundling obligations that apply to multiple dwelling units (MDUs), or apartment buildings. The FCC said its ruling increases the incentives for incumbent LECs to deploy next generation facilities. The order concludes that determining what constitutes a predominantly residential MDU will be based on the dwelling’s predominant use. For example, a multi-level apartment building that houses retail stores such as a drycleaner or a mini-mart would be predominantly residential, while an office building that contains a floor of residential suites would not. The Order further clarifies that a loop will be considered a FTTH loop if it is deployed to the minimum point of entry of a predominantly residential MDU, regardless of the ownership of the inside wiring.

Verizon and One Economy to Offer Low-Cost Access
Verizon Avenue, a subsidiary of Verizon, and a non-profit called One Economy Corporation, are working together to affordable high-speed Internet access into the homes of many low-income Americans. One Economy's core target market is the approximately 12 million people living in 5 million units of government-subsidized rental housing, approximately 44 percent of the total number of people living in affordable housing in the United States. One Economy and Verizon anticipate impacting a significant share of the 200,000 new low-income apartments built each year. Looking to the future, the partners also are studying the feasibility of expanding this concept to rural and tribal environments as well as to rehabilitated properties.

One Economy and Verizon initially will focus their efforts on new affordable housing projects of at least 100 units. Both are already negotiating with some of the country's largest such developers in New York and along the East Coast.

Under Project Lightspeed, SBC will provide integrated IP-based television, ultra-high-speed broadband, IP voice and wireless bundles of products and services. Through Project Lightspeed, the company will deploy 38,800 miles of fiber - double the amount used to build out the company's DSL network - at a cost of $4 billion to $6 billion.
https://www.sbc.com
14-Oct-04

In June 2004, Ed Whitacre, chairman and CEO of SBC Communications, outlined plans to invest up to $6 billion over the coming five years to push fiber deeper into neighborhoods and fully compete with cable network operators. SBC expects that a FTTN (fiber-to-the-node) architecture will enable it to deliver 15 to 20 Mbps DSL downstream to every home. Under its previous Project Pronto initiative launched in the late 1990s, SBC extended fiber into remote terminals located 12,000 ft from customers. The new plan would push fiber into remote terminals located with 5,000ft of the customer. SBC will also start using FTTP for all new builds in its territory.
SBC is working with Microsoft on IPTV services that would include standard and high-definition programming, customizable channel line-ups, video-on-demand, digital video recording and other advanced features. Field trials are slated for later this year. So far, SBC's partnership with EchoStar is going very well, said Whitacre, indicating "lots of pent-up demand" for cable competition.
In March 2004, SBC Communications and EchoStar Communications launched SBC/ DISH Network satellite TV service across SBC's 13-state service area. SBC's residential service bundles now include a "quadruple play" or TV, wireless, broadband and local/long distance service on a single, monthly bill.

Definition and Overview
1 Introduction
2 Evolution of FTTH
3 Meeting Today's Needs and Anticipating the Future
4 How FTTH Works
5 The Advantages of FTTH
6 Level of Penetration and Acceptance in the Market
7 The Future of FTTH
8 FTTH Suppliers