Telecommunications: The war against copper is raging - The HPPC plan
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IPTO - TERNA Energy cooperation to claim the 800 million euro project, OTE's response and the role of the Recovery Fund
The utilization of the Recovery Fund and the support of investments planned by strong groups such as PPC and the IPTO in fiber optic networks to the home, to rid the country of copper network that prevents the development of broadband services at high speeds, suggest executives of the market telecommunications . These are suggestions that the Ministry of Digital Governance will incorporate in the updated plan for the development of broadband. A few days ago, the chairman of the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT), K. Masselos, moved in the same direction and requested a plan for the replacement of copper .
Networks in "white areas"
A first step in this direction is made through the tender for the development of broadband networks in "white areas" , ie in areas where telecommunications providers are not commercially interested. This is the project Ultra Fast Broadband (UFBB) promoted by Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with a budget of close to 800 million euros. But o tender , which was announced on SYRIZA, "froze" because the nine candidates have raised issues related to both the concession period, which was originally set at 27 years, and other terms. The Ministry of Digital Governance claims that the competitive dialogue with the candidates will be completed soon so that the competition can proceed.
An alternative to the copper network can be offered by PPC if the plan announced by the head of company C a few weeks ago goes ahead . Stop . Mr. Stassis had spoken, during a presentation to stock market analysts, about the expansion of PPC in telecommunications based on the model of the Italian ENEL . The latter utilized the electricity grid to reach fiber optics to homes and offices. It then leases this fiber to other telecommunications providers to offer very fast Internet services. That is, PPC will provide wholesale services to providers.
The IPTO , along with the TERNA Energy, claim the UFBB project through which wholesale services will also be provided to telecommunications providers. But the management of OTE is not sitting idly by. In recent months, it has been investing in the development of fiber-optic home-to-home (FTTH) networks to anticipate competition.
The "last mile"
Reducing OTE's dependence on the copper network, which controls the so-called "last mile", ie the connection from the telecommunications provider's cabin to the home or business, is one of the most important bets for the technological modernization of the country. This was said, in an auspicious way, by the president of EETT K. Masselos at the recent conference of the Association of Information Technology & Communications Companies (SEPE). admits and executives of the telecommunications market , but also of the Ministry of Digital Government, who believe that without reliable fixed telephony networks, even the 5G , the fifth generation mobile networks.
"The delay in the development of fiber optic networks in our country, even if some people advertise as" fiber optic "VDSL connections, where the copper network is still used, is testing the strength of our telecommunications infrastructure these days of the pandemic " they say in the market. As Mr. Masselos said, the pandemic brings back to our agenda "difficult" issues such as "the continuity and predictability of the network's performance, its resilience". It is not enough for us to "simply" have a line or connection, we are interested in the behavior of the bit-stream (s.s. of data flow) that it transmits. This is both a technical and a regulatory challenge. "
Resources from the Recovery Fund
Mr. Masselos wished at the same conference to be in 2021 the year where the Greek strong > plan for "Copper Switch Off" , the abolition of the copper network. The replacement of copper networks with fiber optics is also a strategic choice of the European Union , with our country being one of the tails. The president of EETT considers that the Recovery Fund can support investment plans to reach the optical fibers to the home or office. The Recovery Fund , he explained, funds actions in the field of telecommunications and green technologies.
"Our transition from the copper network to the fiber optic network in the Fixed is fully in line with both of these objectives: Fiber optic networks are 40-60% more energy efficient, 40-60% more economical to maintain "They already have a 'proven in the field' target for 1 and 10 gigabit speeds," said Masselos.
A fiber optic network "can be up to 70-80% more reliable than a corresponding copper network. Combined with a well-designed 5G network, with carefully distributed small-cells (ie small antenna systems) ) in densely populated areas will drastically change our telecommunications environment and through it our economy ".
Source : https://www.imerisia.gr/