Industries > Telecommunications > Service Providers

FTTx is a network where optical fiber runs from the telephone switch to the subscriber's premises, business, or home. Telecom companies have been working diligently to provide us with pseudo-broadband Internet connections over copper (DSL) and cable (cable modem), with practical speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps.

Several new technologies are leading to cost reduction of FTTx. Previously a single fiber was needed to connect to each home separately. Technology advances permit N-way distribution of the bits to many homes through resource sharing circuits (Passive Optic Network based FTTx). Recent advances in loop lasers, fiber and other components, and chips for compressing digital video greatly reduce the system cost and will bring FTTx to the forefront of broadband access technology. FTTx will give service providers the potential to increase revenues from applications such as interactive access, pay-per-view, video on demand, and subscription services.