A peek at the future world of Openreach FTTP

For anyone that hasn't seen the blog article A peek at the future world of Openreach FTTP

Interesting article thanks, I have the following questions:

1. I assume fusion splices are still required at the splitter node & the fibre presentation inside the customers premises?
2. Are the connectorised cables running from the DP to the SPN really much of a benefit duct space-wise? ISTR the latest BFTs are quite a bit thinner now.

The biggest problem with FTTP is probably blocked ducts where the drop cables are underground, and connectorisation isn't going to help with this, which is why G.Fast to the DP may well be the preferred deployment method for ultrafast over FTTP in areas with underground ducts (when they start to look beyond G.Fast from the fibre cab).

With connectorisation there may well be a case for FTTP rather than G.Fast for overhead drop areas (particularly in areas of low housing density) the main disadvantage of G.Fast being the requirement to power the nodes. Perhaps if they get reverse power working to a satisfactory degree this might change.

Comments?

Yes, fusion splices at the SPN, and there may be something at the home - but whether internal or external isn't certain.

I think the fibre used in connectorisation comes in two forms:
- For DP-SPN, the fibre used is corning SST with additional strength members, that helps get past blockages in the distribution side, not the drop side. This likely replaces COF 201 cable, not BFT.
- For DP-Home, the fibre is Corning with Fast Access "peelable" fibre, so may be something like their ROC drop cable, fitted with the optitap connector.

This is the UKNOF talk where Neil McRae talks of both the G.Fast trials and the connectorised FoD trial, where he specifically mentions SST and fast access:
UKNOF31 - G.Fast and NGA2: http://youtu.be/LLpk2dz6nBQ

By the sounds of it, their two biggest problems are blocked ducts - hence the use of SST - and the time/kit needed to perform the blowing when doing a job for a single customer.

The fibre that @MrS mentions, where the black jacket can be peeled leaving a white indoor inner, doesn't quite fit with either of those products used that way. There is an indoor/outdoor variant of SST that does behave like that, and can be used on the drop cable portion instead of the ROC cable - but it then doesn't offer the "fast access" facility.

That indoor/outdoor cable might mean there is no splice needed in the home, if the fibre can be presented into a connector for the ONT.

Corning ROC drop cables, with OptiTap connector

Corning Optisheath DPs with SST cable

SST indoor/outdoor variant

Corning ROC fast access cable

No external splicing at the home, believe a final mechanical splice in the home suffices. They are using OptiTap to stub end cables from the DP to the ONT in the home.

1. There may be some splicing used, but a lot less than previously.
2. The newer smaller BFT help too, so there are various options now.

The changes narrow the gap between G.fast and FTTP costs, hence deployments like Swindon to assess actual costs versus what manufacturers claim.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

They are using OptiTap to stub end cables from the DP to the ONT in the home.

Your photo of the cable is a little blurred. When it has the outer jacket in place, is it perfectly round? or somewhat flattened?

Perfectly round for that particular cable

In my current FTTP installation the only splice that I was aware of at the home was between the drop cable and the internal cable in a small box on the outside wall. The fibre connects to the ONTE with a connector that was already on one ed of the cable.

I think that is one of the ones they want to get rid of. Especially if it is also the transition from blown-fibre tubing and EZ-bend internal fibre.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Perfectly round for that particular cable

Hmm. That still doesn't match up with the choices available on Corning's website. More mysteries ...

http://catalog.corning.com/opcomm/en-US/catalog/Cate...

Zooming on original and the DP end cables definitely a round profile, and remember seeing it plenty of times. At the Huntindon G.fast demo last year some of the cables did match the oblong profiles of the Corning website