BSNL to offer FTTH broadband service

PTI[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2005 12:45:04 PM]

NEW DELHI: State-run BSNL has stepped up efforts to grab a bigger share of rising broadband demand in the country with the PSU planning to provide Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) based broadband services for offering Next generation services to its subscribers.

BSNL started broadband services in January 2005 with the 'ADSL' systems. We are now planning to offer broadband service on fibre also by using the FTTH systems, a senior BSNL official said adding the PSU today issued a tender to procure FTTH equipment for providing the next generation broadband services to its customers.

There are more than 4.5 lakh route kms of optical fibre laid by BSNL/MTNL and more than 1 lakh route kms laid by private operators.

The fibre optics technology can provide unlimited bandwidth potential and is steadily replacing copper network specially in intra-city backbone networks. This is being deployed in commercial buildings and complexes in big cities with high-density potential broadband users.

TRAI has identified five different access paths to cover the last mile -- Local Loop Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Cable, Satellite, Terrestrial Wireless and Fibre to Home.

Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), Fibre-to-the-Curb and FTTH make use of fibre cabling into last mile. The fibre based models are future proof as they can provide huge bandwidth in the last mile and also a IP and converged network that can deliver high quality voice-video and data, he said.

DoT had set a target of 3 million broadband subscribers by December 2005. The total number of broadband internet subscribers in the country as on October 31, 2005 was 7.1 lakhs. BSNL and MTNL have contributed 3.1 lakh subscribers.