Required Reading 0 8 .

1 0

Best practices
for rural broadband deployment
Connectorization supports pay-as-you-grow approach
BY Joan Engebretson

Deploying fiber-based residential

infrastructure (FTTX) has become
a priority for rural telephone car-
riers and other organizations that
serve rural areas. In this article,
we look at best practices for rural
network operators to follow when
they deploy FTTX—and the criti-
cal role that a connectorized fiber
distribution network can play in
those deployments.

The push toward FTTX

With more customers canceling
traditional voice service, instead
using alternatives such as VOIP
and wireless, it has become criti-
cal for rural carriers to develop
new revenue sources. Some of the
most attractive options are multi-
play services such as video, voice
and data, which can be delivered
over a converged high-speed in-
frastructure based on FTTX.
Customers are particularly in-
terested in high-speed data ser-
vices as more applications such
as YouTube and Hulu emerge
that have substantial bandwidth
requirements. And concerns are
growing that a lack of availability
of high-speed data services to ru-
ral areas could create a digital di-
vide, where rural users are unable
to obtain the education and tools
they need to compete in today’s
business market.
As a result, rural network op-
erators are heavily focused on
increasing the data speeds they
can deliver to their customers; de-
ployment projects that bring fiber
closer to the customer are criti-
cal to supporting that goal. For-
tunately, such deployments have
received a boost from the broad-
band stimulus program detailed
1 ( connected planet | Required Reading sponsored by ADC
in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act passed in early
2009. The program dedicated $7.2
billion to increasing broadband
connectivity nationwide and, as
of mid-2010, about one-third
of total available funding had
been awarded, with the remain-
der scheduled for awarding by
Sept. 30, 2010.
“The premise of the program is
that the country is going to bene-
fit,” says Jaxon Lang, vice president,
Global Connectivity Solutions–
Americas, at ADC. “A country that
has greater access to information
will learn faster and be smarter,
and those benefits will come from
broader access to broadband. Now
that the funding has started to
flow, we have seen an uptick in ac-
tivity and a lot of discussion about
how to do all of this.”
Infrastructure projects that
have received broadband stimu-
lus funding have included both
middle-mile projects to connect
community anchor institutions
and last-mile projects connecting
residential users. Last-mile proj-
ects have won about 31% of funds
awarded to date. The vast major-
ity of stimulus funding for the
last mile has gone to FTTX-based
projects. Incumbent rural carriers
have won a substantial share of
last-mile funding but funding also
has gone to projects spearheaded
by non-traditional network op-
erators such as universities, state
governments, utility companies
and municipalities.
Rural requirements
Any organization deploying FTTX
to serve rural customers has some
Required Reading 0 8 .1 0
unique requirements. In com-
parison to major telcos that have
deployed FTTX in urban and sub-
urban neighborhoods, operators
of rural networks typically have
substantially fewer customers per
square mile, driving the need for lo-
cal network infrastructure that can
support lower subscriber densities.
ADC, for example, offers a hub-
in-a-pedestal that can be used
in place of a cabinet at a neigh-
borhood node and is well suited
when no more than 96 homes
will be served from the node.
Right-sizing the neighborhood
hub eliminates the need to pay
for extra capacity that will not be
needed. It further minimizes costs
by eliminating the need for pads
and hand holes. In some cases, it
also may eliminate the need for
special permits.
For “greenfield” deployments
to new housing developments
or other areas that do not have
communications network infra-
structure today, rural operators
are most likely to deploy FTTX
directly to every end user via a
splitter located in a neighborhood
node. But the vast majority of de-
ployments are “brownfield,” where
carriers are overbuilding existing
local network infrastructure—
and there, carriers increasingly
are taking a different approach.
Initially, they may bring fiber
only to the splitter at the neigh-
borhood node, connecting indi-
vidual homes to the splitter only
when the customer signs up for
services such as high-speed data or
advanced video that require extra
bandwidth. That approach enables
network operators to defer the
costs of serving customers until
the time of service. It is particularly
appealing at a time when the cost
of capital has risen and obtaining
capital is more challenging.
The connectorized
approach
An important choice that network
operators must make in planning
their FTTX deployments is wheth-
er to splice fiber connections
2 ( connected planet | Required Reading sponsored by ADC
or use a connectorized approach.
Spliced connections are fused
together using specialized equip-
ment that creates an electric arc.
A connectorized approach uses
multi-terminal connections in
place of splices, enabling installers
to deploy feeder distribution net-
works by simply snapping con-
nectors together.
More network operators are
deciding that a connectorized ap-
proach will be most cost effective
and provide the most flexibility,
whether the deployment is green-
field or brownfield. The connec-
torized approach also simplifies
“With a universal
plug-and-play
connector
approach, the time
required to make
connections at the
splitter is reduced
from an hour using
splices to just
three minutes.”
- Jaxon Lang, ADC
the process of troubleshooting
FTTX networks and enables new
customers to be turned up more
quickly than when connections
are spliced. It also helps future-
proof a network by minimizing
the complexity involved in mak-
ing future network upgrades
A key consideration is that fiber
splicing requires specially trained
installers and special equipment
to support them. The cost of
those employees may be substan-
tially higher than for non-special-
ized installers who can quickly
learn how to use plug-and-play,
factory-made fiber connectors.
Minimizing the need for special-
ized labor and equipment can be
a particularly important consid-
eration for rural operators, many
of whom hire outside contractors
to handle network installations.
Time savings is another impor-
tant factor. As Lang explains, “With
a universal plug-and-play connec-
tor approach, the time required to
make connections at the splitter is
reduced from an hour using splices
to just three minutes.”
Minimizing the time install-
ers must spend at a site not only
minimizes labor costs. It also
helps network operators meet
critical timelines—for example,
completing an FTTX installation
before the ground freezes or in
time to meet stimulus program
deadlines. By enabling faster
turn-up of services, the connec-
torized approach also helps max-
imize customer satisfaction.
“When splicing is used, there is
a trade-off,” notes Lang. “Either
the distribution network is built
entirely up front with service to
customers deployed in advance
of service sign up. Or the opera-
tor brings fiber to the node and
then, at the point of turn-up,
a specialized work force is re-
quired, which is more expensive
and takes more time.”
The connectorized approach
has the added benefit of creating
discrete connection points at key
network locations—including the
splitter and the multiport service
terminal (MST) located between
the splitter and the end-user lo-
cation. In a typical rural FTTX
installation, installers will bring
a sheath of fibers from the neigh-
borhood node to the MST on a
telephone pole or other network
location. From that point, indi-
vidual fibers are run to individual
homes. When technicians need to
troubleshoot the FTTX network,
they can easily take measurements
through the connector terminals
at various connection points,
helping to pinpoint where a prob-
lem is occurring in the network.
The same flexibility that the
connectorized approach pro-
vides at the time of initial FTTX
installation and service turn-up
also can play a role in helping to
future-proof a network. In the
future, some network operators
may opt to increase the band-
width available to each customer
Required Reading 0 8 .1 0
by reducing the number of homes move would require a new split- splitter were made using connec-
served through a single splitter. ter to be installed and half of the tors rather than splices.
If, for example, the number of homes from the original splitter “As rural network operators
homes served per splitter were to be moved onto it—a task that plan their FTTX deployments,
cut in half, the bandwidth to each could be achieved more easily if they will want to choose a con-
home would be doubled. That the original connections to the nectorized solution vendor with a
strong track record for reliability
ADC OmniReach® FTTX Solution and service. That makes ADC a
ADC’s OmniReach® connectorized FTTX Solutions are designed from the logical choice,” says Lang.
ground up to meet the unique requirements of FTTX networks, including “What we bring to the table is
several products that are specifically designed to meet the needs of rural deep expertise,” Lang notes. “Our
network operators. products are deployed by more
than 400 network operators in
Outdoor Fiber Distribution Hub (FDH) 3000 hot and cold temperatures, sleet
This cabinet-style product supports low- and high-density applications, dif- and snow. That speaks to the reli-
ferent network system designs and diverse installation environments. The ability of our products. The other
design of the FDH 3000 provides for rapid connection between fiber op- thing our experience drives is to
tic cables and passive optical splitters in the outside plant segment of the understand the problems people
network, facilitating fast service connection and reconfiguration, simpli- might encounter in the deploy-
fied network installations and improved installation efficiencies in the field. ment of outside plant for fiber
Outdoor FDH 3000 cabinets are available in ground-mount, ground-mount networks. We help solve problems
with in-hub feeder/distribution splicing and pole-mount versions. All mod- that companies new to FTTX
els provide parking lot storage for splitter output ports that are not in service might not even anticipate.”
and a swing frame for easy access. Four different configurations are available
supporting up to 144, 288, 432 or 864 terminations. CONCLUSION
Rural network operators are aggres-
Hub-in-a-Pedestal (HIP) Fiber Distribution Hub sively deploying FTTX to generate
Unlike traditional outdoor hubs that are typically deployed for neighbor- new revenue streams and enhance
hoods of 144 or more homes, the Hub-in-a-Pedestal is right-sized for ru- broadband connectivity to improve
ral landscapes of 12 to 96 homes. Additionally, this field friendly unit is educational and business opportu-
enclosed in a pedestal rather than a metal cabinet and can be placed in the nities for their customers. To mini-
ground without pouring a concrete pad or installing a hand hole—speed- mize costs and deployment times,
ing deployment of fiber to the home and reducing overall project costs. FTTX operators should consider
The Hub-in-a-Pedestal incorporates plug-and-play (PNP) splitter mod- a pay-as-you-grow approach that
ules, parking lot storage for splitter output ports that are not in service, initially brings fiber to a neighbor-
and a swing frame for easy access. The product features full-size trays for hood node, connecting individual
splicing incoming feeder and outgoing distribution cables and the option customers to the node only when
of adding hardened drop connections directly from the pedestal—further they subscribe to higher-bandwidth
supporting lower-cost business models. data or video services.
A connectorized approach to
The OmniReach Multiport Service Terminal (MST) the distribution network can
Typically located at the street, Multiport Service Terminals incorporate most easily support a pay-as-you-
hardened connectors that are factory-terminated and environmentally grow strategy by simplifying the
sealed for connection to Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) located at process of adding customers at a
the customer premises using OmniReach hardened cables. Hardened con- later date, ultimately minimizing
nectors are connected to hardened adapters on the enclosure’s external costs, deployment times and the
surface so that connections can be completed without opening the enclo- requirement for specialized labor
sure. Hardened connectors may be installed anywhere fiber terminals are and equipment. A connectorized
installed, including aerial and below-grade applications. approach also simplifies network
troubleshooting and helps future-
ADC’s OmniReach Hardened Cables proof a network by simplifying
ADC’s drop cable assemblies are available with hardened connectors in the process of making future net-
several cable configurations, including flat dielectric cable and flat dielec- work upgrades.
tric cable with 24AWG toneable wire.
Drop cable assemblies are available in standard lengths measuring 75 to Required Reading
2000 feet. Longer or shorter assemblies are available upon request. Cable sponsored by ADC.
assemblies are available with one or both ends connectorized. www.adc.com

3 ( connected planet | Required Reading sponsored by ADC