Game-Changing FTTH Fault Detection Technology Launched at ECOC 2012
Fast Light to dramatically reduce fibre repair times and costs by eliminating ineffective faulting processes
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands. 12 September 2012. A new technology known as Fast Light, which will enable service providers to reduce fibre faulting time from hours to minutes, is being launched at ECOC 2012.
Fast Light is a complete solution for automating the fibre repair process and carrying out protection switching of optical line terminal (OLT) ports. The commercial benefit of Fast Light is clear just by looking at the business case for handling even a single OLT port failure.
A single PON fibre failure can result in 64 customers losing their TV or internet access. Fast Light allows service providers to identify all customers potentially affected by a fault remotely, within minutes and sometimes before a single call has to be made to the customer contact centre. This allows the operator to meet restoration expectations whilst dramatically reducing OpEx at the same time.
The new technology has been developed by UTEL, a multi-faceted R&D organisation with expertise in telecommunication systems, copper test access, optical fibre test access, test head, OTDR and network design.
“Fast Light will dramatically shift the business case for FTTH – the impact it will have is quite mind-boggling. Before we achieved this everyone thought that it was impossible. Not only did we develop an OTDR that could see through 128 to 1 splitters but also a truly low cost optical test access switch, which changes the business case for this technology from ‘difficult’ to a no brainer,” said Frank Kaufhold, Managing Director of UTEL.
“Other solutions that currently try to solve the same problem rely on the service providers fitting a wavelength dependent mirror in front of every customer’s ONT. This adds an additional 20 Euros cost for each customer connection, so a million customers equals 20 Million Euros of extra expenditure. There is no wonder the business case has bombed for these solutions,” he added.
Fast Light can detect faults before customers are even aware by setting an automated OTDR test of the fibre. Alternatively the first customer can raise the alarm. Either way Fast Light can compare each of the traces with a previous good version stored on file. This enables the detection of every single customer experiencing problems instantly and remotely. Fast Light can also automatically reconnect the fibre to a spare OLT port in the event of an OLT Port failure.
For more information about Fast Light visit stand 136 at ECOC 2012 or go to www.UTEL.co.uk/fastlight.php.
Fast Light Q & A
Why should I be interested in Fast Light?
Fast Light will dramatically shift the business case for FTTH. It will enable service providers to build better quality FTTH networks quicker and at less cost. Most importantly Fast Light will enable service providers to reduce fibre faulting time from hours or even days to about 1 Minute! In tomorrow’s environment customer service downtime will become ever more critical. A single PON fibre failure can result in 64 customers losing their TV and Internet Access. Fast Light will enable service providers to meet their customer’s service restoration expectations. It will dramatically reduce OpEx and fibre repair time.
Don’t other products already exist that do the same job?
No. Fast Light’s competitor’s solutions rely on the service providers fitting a wavelength dependent mirror in front of every customer’s Optical Network Terminal. This adds an additional 20 Euros cost for every customer connection. A million customers equals 20 Million Euros of extra expenditure. No wonder the business case has bombed for these solutions.
Why hasn’t this been developed before?
Before UTEL achieved it everyone thought that it was impossible. But with a reputation for stretching boundaries UTEL’s innovative people did exactly that. Not only did they develop an OTDR that could see through 128 to 1 splitters but also a truly low cost optical test access switch, which changes the business case for this technology from ‘difficult’ to a no brainer.
What is the benefit for network operators – what differences will it make in the market?
Fast Light will dramatically reduce fibre repair times and repair costs by eliminating the current ineffective faulting processes. Currently, skilled technicians drive around with hand-held OTDRs trying to locate fibre breaks. With Fast Light a call centre operative can do the same job in about a minute.
The business impact of this is quite mind-boggling. When a PON goes down, the service providers call centre will be flooded with calls. With Fast Light, the first call will result in a Fast Light test, which will locate the fault. Most importantly, Fast Light will also identify all of the other customers affected. When the other customers phone the call centre the transaction time can be minimised as the call centre will be able to tell the customer that the service provider is aware of the fault and that the repair crew is already on the way.
Contrast this with the current situation where each of the 64 customers are led through a fault reporting process, which can take Minutes, and lead to 64 separate trouble tickets. Fast Light is unique in that it enables five star customer service while at the same time dramatically reducing OpEx and simplifying the network operation problem set.
When will Fast Light be available?
Fast Light will be launched at the ECOC 2012 show in Amsterdam in mid September.
Is this a global offering?
Fast Light addresses a global problem set and we will be offering the solution globally in conjunction with selected partners. UTEL is an ethical company with strong environmental principles so will not be providing the solution to companies operating in apartheid regimes.
What differentiates UTEL?
UTEL is unique in that it is a multi-faceted R&D organisation that has grown from nothing to a 15 million Euro turnover without external investment or borrowing. Its strengths are the quality of its multinational team of people and ability to develop radical new technology extremely quickly.
