Fiber to the home: considerations associated with a successful deployment

To realize the Nigerian Government’s goal to liver 80% mobile broadband penetration by 2018, and become one of the top twenty economies in the world by the year 2020, Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology along with other broadband access technologies is an essential driving factor for providing broadband access. Currently most telecom operators are reluctant to deploy FTTH in the access networks as this is very costly. Most operators are also averse to the risk of regulation - unbundling of the local loop - the new fiber infrastructure. Today, majority of broadband connectivity is offered via Satellite, GSM Networks and Microwave Access. FTTH provides enormous bandwidth and long-reach offering triple play services (Data, Voice, and Video). Advancement in the electronic equipment coupled with a fall in the price of Fiber Optic Cables and equipment
make FTTH deployment an affordable choice for the telecom operators that result in long term returns. An analysis of the various factors affecting FTTH Deployment in Nigeria, and possible mitigations to limiting factors, is presented here.