Interview FTTH Council President Roshene McCool, Corning Optical Communications.

optical_communications

Interview FTTH Council President Roshene McCool, Corning Optical Communications.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the FTTH Council Europe. NExsT spoke with FTTH Council President Roshene McCool about the past, present, and future of the council.


“Build it and they will come!” Exclusive interview FTTH Council President Roshene McCool

“Recently, I spoke to Chris Holden, one of the FTTH Council’s founders and its first president, about the early days. Initially, the Council focused on education, helping customers understand what fibre to the home is. I think that job is now finished. People understand that a fibre-optic connection means faster broadband to their homes and workplaces. The case has been made, so now, the Council focuses on coverage and adoption."

“The current goal is ubiquitous fibre across Europe. Our positive engagement with EU institutions and investors has a meaningful impact on the development of a regulatory and investment environment that supports fibre deployment in Europe. Our committees look at policy, regulation, and investment, as well as the more technical areas of deployment. I think that's where our role lies today: creating the required environment, speaking as an industry, and sharing best practices. Europe is, of course, a patchwork of nations. Every single nation has its own definition of ‘ubiquitous fibre’. Some define specific technical solutions, such as FTTH, others describe a minimum level of bandwidth. I don't think it's the Council's job make such decisions on governments’ behalf. However, I do think we need to continue explaining why ubiquitous fibre is the more sustainable, secure, and reliable option."

“In the next few years, we need to think about “copper switch-off”. Retiring copper networks is an emerging topic which is relevant to the industry. Developing policy for this is fairly complex: each EU 39 country has its own copper legacy and fibre maturity level, and even within countries, operators start from different places. It's really important that that organize an industry-wide conversation. The council is an ideal forum for this because our committee structure covers every topic related to copper switch-off. We have a Policy & Regulation committee, Investment committee, Deployment & Operations committee, Open Access Committee, Sustainability Committee…. Once the Council has engaged in industry-wide conversations and taken a position, our relationships with European institutions allow us to feed that industry view back to policymakers.”

Significant ongoing fibre coverage across Europe

“By September 2023, 244 million homes had access to FTTH/B networks, up from 221 million in 2022. Countries such the UK, Germany, and France are leading this growth, while Belgium, Serbia, and Croatia are showing the highest annual growth rates. Although coverage is expanding, adoption rates lag across Europe on average. Increasing consumer adoption is key, particularly in countries with high installation rates but lower take-up. On average, the coverage rate in Europe was about 70% at the end of 2023, and take-up rates were about 50%. Our annual Market Panorama clearly shows that countries with more coverage show greater adoption. Spain is a good example, with a 92% coverage rate and an 86% take-up rate. In the Nordics, we see something similar: 80% coverage with take up rates around 70s-80%. I’d say this indicates a virtuous circle. If we compare this to countries with lower coverage, such as the UK or Germany, we see both coverage and take-up rates are much lower. It’s like that line from the film ‘Field of dreams’: “If you build it, they will come”.

“In a study, Cisco observed that the more bandwidth people have, the more bandwidth they’ll use. After all, as a species, we are programmed to communicate. The need to connect is fundamentally human. FTTH offers a means to do that. In my own home, four people are often simultaneously streaming videos, making mobile calls, reading on iPads, doing homework online, and taking part in online meetings. Today, that kind of broadband use is not exceptional, so reliable coverage is becoming a necessary utility like water and electricity. In real estate markets, homes that have full fibre connections sell for a premium over those that don't."

“Of course, with all these developments, in-home broadband networks have become very important. Our In-Home Broadband Network Committee studies this, and the council has taken positions on related topics. For example, we advocate partially reserving 6Ghz Wi-Fi bandwidth in order to ensure Wi-Fi works well within the home and is not competing with other technologies like 5G. If you have FTTH via an in-home Wi-Fi network and it goes down, you’re likely to be annoyed with your operator because the in-home broadband isn't working. However, if the in-home network isn't properly configured, it's really not the provider’s fault! The Council and In-Home Broadband Network Committee take this very seriously, as it has an impact on adoption.”

Understanding the benefits of full fibre

“Some countries have fibre networks, but these only run to the cabinet. The connection to the home is copper, served by high-speed VDSL networks. That means that a huge number of customers have never truly experienced a fibre connection and the improvements in speed, bitrates, and reliability. They can’t know that fibre is better than what they already have. Education is needed in this area, as well as on the sustainability of optical networks in comparison to copper. This is a big deal: copper networks use more power than optical networks. Operators’ ability to convert to full optical networks has a real impact on their carbon footprint. That's something we should all be advocating for. Fibre allows us to reduce our energy usage and lower our carbon footprint while simultaneously providing high-speed broadband services.”

Rural and remote areas

“Bridging the digital divide by rolling out fibre in rural and remote areas remains a priority. Developing cost-effective strategies for these regions is essential to avoid inequality in access to high-speed broadband. I heard a wonderful anecdote from an operator who was rolling out a rural fibre network. People on local farms didn't see the point at all - until they discovered that fibre connections allowed them to engage with the digital economy. They could connect directly with customers and sell eggs or produce for example. Suddenly, they genuinely wanted fibre! Rural communities tend to be populated by small and medium businesses, from farming to tourism. These communities can benefit vastly from full fibre connections because it means they can engage with e-commerce, advertise, and connect to the wider community. What’s more, families can connect to the wider world for education, entertainment, and healthcare. In some ways, rural communities can get more out of full fibre networks than many urban communities. So, it's important that we reach them. "

“The Council's goal is ubiquitous fibre in Europe - and that means connections for everybody. Rural represents some 10% of Europe that is really difficult to get to. They're far from fibre hubs, population is often sparse, and the terrain often presents challenges to laying ducts. Often, the business case doesn't stack up. Government policy and regulation can make these environments more attractive to investors. Rural communities and governments really need to focus their efforts on finding the right opportunities for subsidies.”

Smart regulations make everything easier

“We put a great deal of thought into making installations smooth, because the installation itself is the biggest proportion of any capital expenditure in fibre. The EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act is about reducing barriers and making permit processes, whether it's enabling sharing of legacy passive infrastructures, establishing in-building wiring practices, which is what we've discussed earlier. At a local and national government, and European level, initiatives such as the Gigabit society, coupled with a strong regulatory framework, really help our industry. It's all about smoothing pathways to installation and making fibre an attractive investment. If you can shorten the Time to ROI and optimise the CapEx and OpEx side of the business case in a structured regulatory manner, you’ve taken a huge hurdle. 

“These policies impact building regulations for example. If new houses are being built, duct infrastructure for full fibre is integrated into the build, so roads don’t need to be dug up later. Governments have a real incentive to do this. After all, they want a well-educated, well-connected, healthy productive, population. A full broadband connection can help realise this. For example, people who, for one reason or another, can’t work in an office from nine to five every day can work from home. Countless people can save hours they would otherwise spend commuting every day and spend that time on productive work. Things like this really makes a difference.”

Aligning with Europe’s environmental goals

“The Council is promoting initiatives to reduce the fibre networks’ carbon footprint through sustainable practices and reporting models. The FTTH Council Carbon Footprint Reporting Model helps network operators, governments, and policymakers assess and report the carbon footprint of FTTH networks. It focuses on providing a standardized approach to calculating and reporting the environmental impact of fibre deployments compared to legacy networks like copper or wireless. Very large companies are now expected to release their carbon footprint numbers, which places pressure on their ecosystems. That, in turn, places pressure on small to medium businesses who serve those larger companies: they need to accurately declare their carbon footprint. Within the industry, people genuinely want to comply but it's not always easy to navigate through the carbon footprint regulation, especially if you're a small to medium business and might not have the staff and tools to figure it out.

“The council has found a way of helping members do this. We've got leverage with numbers and can support our members with a new platform. Essentially, it enables members to calculate the carbon footprint of their products and share that information. Everyone who has access to that platform can understand the carbon footprint incurred by using a particular connector or drop cable, for example. Another example is the FTTH/B Investments Tracker: a tool that tracks investments in FTTH/B networks across various countries and regions. It offers up-to-date information on the scale, progress, and allocation of investments in fibre broadband infrastructure by both private companies and governments. 

“I think these examples illustrate how the council, as a member-led institution, serves its members. We’re always looking for ways of providing the most efficient help for members, helping us all tackle real-world challenges!”