Long-term view central to FTTH innovation

Fiber-to-the-home infrastructure can be controversial, especially when it comes to government efforts to either support or neglectprojects. Speaking at the recent FTTH Council Europe Conference,Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Chi Onwurah added fuel to the debate on FTTH issues by telling audiences at the event that many European governments, particularly the United Kingdom, are neglecting FTTH investments. As a result, long-term innovation could be stifled in the region, TechWorld reported.

Looking at FTTH as an innovation enabler
Many experts consider FTTH infrastructure as a key catalyst for innovation because the telecommunications technology enablesrapid data transit capabilities that allow businesses to offer advanced services and gain access to data more effectively. FTTH also gives consumers access to robust network systems that can spur creativity and enable the rise of IP-based services in an area. However, Onwurah explained that European bodies cutting investments and not supporting FTTH projects is holding back long-term economic growth, the news source said.

Part of the problem, Onwurah said, is that many stock markets do not look at long-term projects and use those investments to increate an organization's stock rating. Instead, they often look at the amount of money spent and lack of immediate results often leads to stock decreases. This limited view of capitalism is causing many of the problems in the current FTTH landscape. Onwurah explained that there is a growing need for a long-term view of FTTH's benefits, as the technology can have a major positive impact on economies.

"As a Labor politician, I am pleased to say that we are looking into the long-term investment incentives as part of our review of markets, in order to know what the incentives are for what we call 'responsible capitalism', which is partially about taking a longer term view of the rewards for investment," Onwurahexplained at the conference, TechWorld reported.

Maximizing the value of FTTH
​Media converters play a major role in helping telecoms and local communities get the most of their FTTH spending. Installing new FTTH infrastructure can be an expensive process, especially since optical cabling systems used in such setups have to be interoperable with Ethernet systems used in homes and businesses. Ensuring compatibility can be costly, but choosing the right media conversion solution can ensure fiber to Ethernet interoperability within a cost-effective framework. Furthermore, advanced solutions can also enable sophisticated functionality within the network, adding to the infrastructure's performance gains.

Perle has an extensive range of Managed and Unmanaged Fiber Media Converters to extended copper-based Ethernet equipment over a fiber optic link, multimode to multimode and multimode to single mode fiber up to 160km.