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The globally agreed net-zero emission goal by 2050 requires that all industries in all fields work together and collaborate. Only through a combination of imposed regulations encouraging funding and innovation can we meet the targets for a green future for our children and future generations.
At the same time, nations around the globe have set ambitious broadband goals. In the European Union, the European Commission has stated that every household within the union should be offered 1 Gbit connectivity by 2030. In the US, the federal government will provide over $43 billion to ensure Internet access for everyone within the same timeframe. These two goals can go hand in hand, as increased connectivity fosters people to work more remotely.
However, considering the massive amount of energy required to provide global connectivity, it is essential to choose our future technologies wisely. Selecting the right technologies and support systems will significantly impact our ability to meet sustainability goals.
Meeting Global Sustainability Goals: Fiberization for a Green Future
The word "sustainability" emphasizes longevity and durability. This explains the high interest that operators worldwide have in fiber. Future-proof scalability and higher capacities make full-fiber networks the most energy-efficient solution.
Full fiber technologies are significantly more climate-friendly than legacy copper technologies. Studies show that FTTH technologies are more sustainable than FTTC networks in almost every scenario. Only in Germany, if all households were to be connected with GPON, this could reduce power consumption by up to 2/3 compared to FTTC, saving up to 240MW. Looking at the power consumption per Gbit/s, the energy savings become even more evident.
Furthermore, full fiber networks, like GPON, use less energy and often come with power-saving features that automatically reduce consumption during low activity periods. This innovative technology is crucial for reducing CO2 emissions and combating climate change.
But the savings continue. Rapid technological advancements lead to the frequent disposal of outdated equipment, adding environmental pressure. Electronic waste is a growing global concern. In contrast to copper networks, which often demand frequent upgrades, full-fiber technologies utilize longer-lasting fiber optic cables that can adapt to various technological advancements.
Choose the more sustainable network technology for long-term environmental benefits.
Supporting the transition to FTTH XGS-PON
To meet the speed and capacity demands, many operators are now transitioning to XGS-PON. XGS-PON provides stunning residential speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s and is today's most power-efficient broadband technology. Even though XGS-PON consumes twice as much energy as GPON, since it allows four times the speed of GPON, it enables building scalable networks with a smaller environmental footprint. This allows operators to consolidate their infrastructure and scale up on existing fiber. By replacing legacy copper and cable networks with XGS-PON and upgrading existing GPON networks, operators can ensure that the growing demand for greater speeds does not lead to a massive increase in emissions.
Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) for efficient utilization of existing infrastructure
In addition to the XGS-PON revolution, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology is being widely adopted to reduce further the need to add multiple fibers between locations. Using the power of multiplexing, a single fiber can be split in 96 wavelengths (Dense-WDM) to provide long-reach secure connectivity at speeds at 100Gbit and beyond between businesses, data centers, and network nodes.
To take it one step further, the combination of PON and WDM technologies, referred to as WDM-PON, combines the best of the two technologies, offering a secure and scalable infrastructure for residents and businesses over a minimal number of physical fibers. Adopting these technologies in fiber networks reduces the physical footprint at lower operating costs.
"As we race toward a net-zero future, fiber technology emerges as a crucial bridge between connectivity and sustainability. The transition to full-fiber networks isn't just about faster internet - it's about building a greener, more sustainable digital infrastructure that can support generations to come.”
Ulf Engstrand, Senior Product Manager
Our role in enabling a sustainable and green future
As nations around the globe have committed to an extensive fiber rollout to provide fast and reliable Internet access to all its citizens, it is essential to have software solutions that can support the transition to new and emerging technologies.
Our solutions are built to expedite the transition to full fiber access technologies and support rollouts and technology upgrades at large scales. The role of our software solutions spans the entire fiber journey, starting with scalable and efficient tools for planning and designing new builds, flexible solutions to support sales and marketing when attracting consumers to move from copper connections to full fiber, and automated platforms for smooth installation, provisioning, and operations.
As many operators struggle with low penetration rates, partly due to inadequate processes, it is essential to choose software solutions that actively support the rollout process and foster an excellent customer experience creating a loyal customer base.
Thinking of sustainability is important in every single step of the process, including the optimization of supply chains, efficient and high-quality field services, and the operation of the network over its entire lifecycle.
Inadequate software solutions for fiber rollout
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For more information, please contact
Johan Hjalmarsson, Product Marketing Manager, Netadmin Systems.
Email: johan.hjalmarsson@netadminsystems.com