LTE will pave the way for fibre-to-the-home

The roll-out of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies by mobile network operators will pave the way for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), said business development manager of optical networks for Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), Gerlinde Bedoe, during an interview at the 2011 Submarine Networks World Africa conference.

Bedoe explained that the high speeds offered by LTE requires the high capacity backhaul offered by fibre optic cables. In high population density areas you also need to build a lot of LTE sites to ensure good quality of service. When you you’re building a lot of base stations with fibre backhaul you are effectively rolling out the first stages of FTTH, Bedoe said.

These fibre rollouts should be effectively regulated by government, Bedoe added. However, “regulate” doesn’t mean “restrict,” she said. It just means things should be done cleverly.

As an example, she explained that each operator shouldn’t dig their own trenches. Government should enact plans that allow fibre to be put in the ground with the minimum intervention but the maximum output.

Gerlinde Bedoe,business development manager of optical networks for Nokia Siemens Networks

Spectrum allocation paves the way to LTE

While the rollout of LTE may provide network operators the base from which to launch FTTH to complement their existing wireless offerings, the path to LTE in South Africa requires spectrum optimisation, said managing director of Nokia Siemens Network South Africa, Rufus Andrew. A number of issues have plagued the allocation of the 2.6GHz band which is highly sought-after by network operators for LTE and WiMAX deployments.

Other spectrum that is ideal for LTE is the so-called “digital dividend,” Andrew said. These are the frequencies used for analogue television transmissions that will become available when the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting is completed.

Andrew said that the Department of Communications (DoC) and ICASA (the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) has put spectrum optimisation and the migration from analogue to digital television broadcasting high in its agenda.

Rufus Andrew, managing director of Nokia Siemens Network South Africa

LTE some years away, FTTH only in 5-10 years

Vodacom’s Jannie van Zyl agreed that more affordable FTTH services are a natural next step from LTE. However, network providers wouldn’t necessarily be thinking about this as they are focussed on rolling out more towers and backhaul.

According to Van Zyl, the logical progression for fibre deployments is along critical, profitable points beginning with 3G towers, corporates and multi-dwelling units such as residential estates.

Network operators will go to the easiest place to get a return on investment, van Zyl explained, and if they can pay their investment off in the short term – 5 years or less – they can move onto the next thing.

Jannie van Zyl

With everyone in urban areas within 1km of a fibre point such as an LTE base station in the next 5 years, the logical next step would be to offer wireline broadband services over fibre, or even copper, van Zyl said.

This means that while we might start to see people getting connected in this way in the next 5 years, it won’t be at more affordable consumer level prices of R2,000 – R3,000 per month.

For more affordable FTTH services resulting from LTE roll-outs South Africa is more likely looking at a window of 5-10 years, van Zyl said.