Outside plant - prewire customer demarc preference

Fri Nov 24 19:33:10 UTC 2023

Thanks Brandon Martin,

I agree 1-inch smurf tube is overkill for FTTH. From my quick research 
into all things FTTH, which I didn't know anything a week ago :-) ...

The regulators in other countries still believe they will create 
competition.  The 25mm/32mm access duct (I'm going to make up a new 
term, and just call it "access duct", i.e. that smurf tube, conduit, 
pathway thing) is big enough for either a fiber microduct, cat 6 copper 
or RG6 coax.  Even a 12/24/48-volt DC power cable for active 
equipment at the NID/demarc.  The regulators keep all their competitors 
happy by not favoring any particular technology.

In practice, the countries with the biggest FTTH deployments have very 
little FTTH competition at the physical access layer.

Microduct, microduct, microduct is what the dominant access provider 
wants in those countries.  The dominant carrier wants builders to install 
"direct fiber" or "bypass fiber" microducts in new construction directly 
from every dwelling (house or apartment) to the carrier's central access 
point for the builder's development (apartment buildings or neighborhood).

Microduct only means no pre-built access for other competitors.

Apartment construction in Asia is very large. Several countries are 
also adding in-building mobile/wireless service requirements for new MDU 
building construction.

My interpretation, not understanding the country-specific FTTH fights...

The regulators appear to say, Ok, dominant carrier - you can have 
"direct fiber" microduct but builders must also provide an "open 
competition" 25mm/32mm access duct from the building entrance point (NID) 
or apartment consolidation points (CP) to the individual distribution box 
(DD) inside each dwelling.

Just my uninformed take, corrections welcome.