Nokia has launched the Fibre Techzone knowledge hub aimed at newcomers to the fibre broadband space, giving comprehensive guidance about how to plan, fund, build, operate, and monetise a broadband network.

 

According to Omdia, an independent analyst and consultancy firm, fibre broadband today reaches 850 million homes, or 65% of the global population, and will grow to 70% by 2025. A diverse ecosystem of operators includes major communication service providers, utility companies, investment companies building open networks which are wholesaled to virtual operators, start-ups and even cable operators.

 

In many countries, newcomer, community-based operators are leading the drive to connect the harder to reach homes. Whilst fibre deployments will last many generations, the initial investment in digging up the roads is high. Governments around the world are providing significant investment to support new builds, but completing grant applications requires deep domain understanding.

 

Altnets

Erik Keith, Senior Research Analyst for Broadband Infrastructure at S&P Global, said: “As evidenced by $65 billion being pledged in the US and £5 billion ($6.08 billion) in the UK for broadband network deployment grants, supporting Alternative Network Operators, or ‘Altnets’ will be crucial to bridging the digital divide. Providing Altnets with dedicated educational resources will be of huge value in facilitating their continued growth.”

 

Fibre Techzone will provide broadband builders with much needed insight, from high level explanations of how fibre-to-the-home networks work, to how they can improve in-home Wi-Fi experience for their customers, to recommendations how to monetise their fibre investment.

 

Sandy Motley, President, Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “I am personally passionate about the role of fixed broadband in improving people’s lives and our capabilities to help accelerate deployments. Having a long history in fibre broadband, Nokia has seen many of the challenges that our customers have had to deal with and helped in solving them. fibre Techzone is intended to bring up to speed everyone who is starting with fibre and will be a must-bookmark site giving new builders a head-start in their planning and operation.”

 

Market share leader

According to Dell’Oro, Nokia was the 2021 market share leader for XGS-PON equipment, today’s gold standard for fibre networks. Fibre Techzone draws on Nokia’s 20+ years of building fibre networks and its leadership in all aspects, from network equipment to operational software to home Wi-Fi beacons.

 

Melissa Schoeb, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Nokia, said: “High speed broadband is no longer a nice to have but is essential for access to education, healthcare and new, innovative services coming to the digital marketplace. As laid out in our People and Planet Report, bridging the digital divide is a key goal for Nokia and our Fibre Techzone will play a pivotal educational role.”-- TradeArabia News Service