In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

When it's clear there's nowhere for the topic to go leaving it be. If you feel otherwise and wish to flog this dead horse that's your call.

Threads discussing this very point always end this way sadly, everyone has a difference of opinions and you can probably argue the toss either way as I'm sure there are examples that can be used by either side and with Openreach rolling out over 11,000 connections a day at present they won't be hard to find.

I do wonder whether point-to-point (effectively dark fibre to the premises) was ever really a “contender” when BT Group were evaluating strategic options to replace copper in the last mile.

The cost delta between P2P and PON is not enormous - seeing as the real difference is 1:1 fibre capacity between the last node and the POP/exchange and enough ODF space in the exchange (perhaps 4 to 5x what is there for PON). Mind you this could be re-engineered into the existing distribution network without too much difficulty - especially when E side copper is retrieved some time on the next 10-15 years.

Pheasant

Real cost difference is not in the access fibre it may be in maintaining the ODF. Have you ever seen a big copper MDF they are frighteningly messy to have to deal with. The thought of 100,000 - 200,000 fibres with any to any connectivity for fibre unbundling would have biased the options to any condensed solution. GPON would have seemed ideal reducing the exchange fibre connectivity by a factor of at least 32.

Have to take into account as well the hope to close buildings, so that some buildings may host 250-400k connections, P to P may well not scale for a wholesaler. likely to have to sell on to multiple providers. ( Vertically Integrated supplier able to connect directly to their own electronics without the complexity of interconnection would scale much better but was never an option for a heavily regulated OR)

BT(OR) Design decisions always had to take account of the ways regulation could affect (break) what could have been an efficient design. These often closed down some designs that would otherwise be attractive.

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Edited by kitcat (Sun 15-May-22 16:36:18)