The first step towards a solution, as they say, is
recognizing there’s a problem. For one utility company in Europe, the problem
was not the existing network. In fact, team members were smart enough to see a possibility
for future growth by adding to that network. But the challenge was how to do
it.
This electrical utility already had a lot going for it.
It had an extensive grid, rights of way, experience in outside plant
deployments and a fiber backbone to lease fiber services. But FTTH, or fiber to
the home, was new to the team. It wanted to build an open-access FTTH
infrastructure and lease it to partners, but it had no idea who to turn to or
how much it would cost.
Obviously building FTTH on top of an electrical grid has
unique challenges. The team didn’t want to disrupt service, and safety was
imperative working so close to high-voltage equipment. The costs really started
to add up when the team realized some of the grid maps were out of date. And
the varying weather – frost one day, sun the next – didn’t help either.
CommScope stepped in at this point to guide the utility’s
team. This kind of project couldn’t be completed with a one-size-fits-all approach.
The utility needed customizable solutions adapted to local circumstances. And
that is exactly what CommScope delivered.
So how exactly did the utility deal with the costs and
bring the project back on track? Find out in this exclusive “National
utility goes broadband” case study. If you’ve ever had a network deployment
project with unforeseen costs, you can probably learn something useful from it.
If you have other FTTH deployment examples or suggestions, I’d love to hear
about it in the comments section.