Sharing of existing duct infrastructure

in FTTx projects

How it saved France 100 million Euros

in 3 years

How it can save you millions of Euros

Source: Fiberopticmania

CAPEX Distribution for Greenfield FTTH Deployments

Source: Handbook of the FTTH Council Europe

Dr. Kátrin Schweren, EU Affairs Delegate, Swisscom "Swiss Fibre Optics or Fibre Suisse:

Multiple Fiber Multiply Innovation"

FTTH Europe Conference, Copenhagen, 11-12/02/2009

From the Digital agenda for Europe:

Action 42: Adopt an EU broadband communication

Action 43: Funding for high-speed broadband

Action 45: Foster the deployment of NGA networks

Action 46: Member States to develop national broadband plans

Action 47: Member States to facilitate broadband investment

Action 48: Use structural funds to finance the roll-out of high-speed networks

http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/broadband-cost-cutting

Duct sharing, what does it mean?

•More than one cable in a conduit

•Cables from different operators

•Without sub ducting (cable over cable)

•With sub ducting

Rigid sub ducting

Flexible Textile sub ducting

Duct sharing without sub ducting

• Adding cable over cable in an incremental way

• Leads to sub-optimal use of a duct

entanglement of cables

high friction between cabe jackets whilst installing cables

risk of damaging cable jackets (burn through)

when several cables in: impossible to replace a cable

Only 1/3 of theoretical duct capacity can be used, 2/3 is lost!

Duct sharing without

sub ducting (cable over cable)

Cable at start

After 500 m: cable jacket clearly damaged After 750 m cable jacket heavily damaged

After 250 m slight damages

Source: Milliken & CO

• Cable entanglement

Duct sharing without

sub ducting (cable over cable)

Duct sharing with rigid sub ducts

• Install smaller sub ducts in outer duct

– e.g. 3x 32 mm sub ducts in a 100 mm outer duct

– e.g. 5x 12 mm mini ducts in a 50 mm outer duct

• Adding cables in an incremental way, physically separated

– No entanglement of cables

– limited friction, no risk in serious cable jacket damages

• Still results in a sub-optimal use of a duct

“a circel in a circel in a circel”, most space used up by plastic & air

if outer duct is deformed less sub ducts can be installed

if outer duct contains mud, sand, ... les sub ducts can be installed

Duct sharing with rigid sub ducts

A circel in a circel in a circel

Sediment at bottom outer duct

Ovalized outer duct

Duct sharing with

Flexible Textile sub ducts

• Duct sharing results in cable deployment of several operators in the duct

infrastructure originally designed for only 1 operator

• Flexible Textile sub ducts = the only solution to maximize the capacity of

existing ducts:

– No entanglement between cables

– Low friction, no risk of damaging cable jackets

– Takes only up the space of a cable, no circel in a circel in a circel

– Copes with deformed and dirty ducts

– Allows easy overlay of existing cables

• Triples the capacity of a duct compared with no sub ducting / rigid sub ducting

Duct sharing in France

• Process: EU directives National legislation Telecom Regulator ARCEP

Duct Sharing negotiations of operators facilitated by ARCEP

• Agreement reached mid 2008: engineering/process/financial aspects

• Competitors stopped creating their own duct infrastructure since then (cost!)

• 3 nationwide + several regional operators install their cables in the ducts of France

Telecom

• Flexible Textile ducts used where duct infrastructure is (nearly) congested

• Flexible Textile ducts used when rigid mini ducts fail (outer duct in bad condition)

• Flexible Textile inner duct used in small ducts (too small for rigid inner ducts)

Flexible Textile sub ducts: THE alternative for expensive civil works

in Brownfield environments

Cost is a fraction of the cost of civil works (<10%)

100 Million Euros savings in 3 years

• Civil works: roughly € 100/m in urban areas

• Civil works: additional challenges and costs:

Upfront project work

Time to get permits, bureaucratic struggles

No dig zones exist

Time windows for digging exist (e.g. once every 5 years)

Obligations of co-execution with utility companies

100 Million Euros savings in 3 years in France

• >1000 km of flexible inner duct installed 2009-2011

• >1000 km of civil works avoided

• cost saving: €100/m x 1.000.000 m = € 100.000.000!

Conclusion:

Flexible sub duct technology =

CAPEX KILLER of FTTx projects

when duct infrastructure is shared

Thank you