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elivering the welcome speech at February's FTTH Conference in London, Karin Ahl, president of the FTTH Council Europe, confessed that some of the body's members did not think it appropriate to host the FTTH Conference in the UK because it did not qualify to be listed in the ranking of leading FTTH nations. “However, I am delighted it was chosen, not only because the facilities are great and organisation looks wonderful but also because one of the central issues facing our industry has crystallised most clearly in the UK,” she noted. “The issue concerns the choice of network in the short and medium term – and how today’s choices impact the long term future. The UK may end up being last in Europe because it has focused on a Fibre to the Cabinet solution. We could stick our heads in the sand and pretend this approach does not exist but frankly, that is not my style. We need to make the right decisions for the future, not
Its proponents suggest that deployment of Fibre to the Home can play a significant role in boosting national economies as well as helping satisfy the burgeoning demand for bandwidth. Colin Mann finds out what measures are being proposed to help FTTH development and what obstacles lie in its path.
and environmental sustainability are the most pressing and Fibre to the Home networks can be an enabling part of the solution. Of course the EU sees these challenges and even though they have run a variety of consultations about what should be done, the quality of the underlying networks simply doesn’t feature in their considerations, even though it is DG Connect that sets out the Commission’s view,” she advised. REMIT. “Part of our remit at the FTTH Council Europe is to promote the benefits of FTTH but also educate and influence decision makers so that there is a supportive legal framework and the right investments are made. We remain more committed than ever to do this during these challenging times,” she confirmed. “We in the Council used to have a saying: 'Build it once, build it right'. It’s a bit like the fable of the three little pigs who build their houses of straw, timber and brick. Well, we all know how it ended for the little piggies that didn’t think long term. They got eaten by
ones based on the past,” she declared. “Let’s be clear, the availability of FTTH, coupled to the services it enables, will help shape the economic future of our region. That is a fact! But like at the Olympics, there will be
“The availability of FTTH, coupled to the services it enables, will help shape the economic future of our region.” Karin Ahl, FTTH Council Europe
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winners and there will be losers. Fibre to the Home wins the gold medal in the telecoms Olympics. It provides unparalleled speeds and capacity and can provide these in a way that is future-proof,” she asserted. “We often speak of the digital divide within individual countries, but our region risks being on the losing side of a global divide where our collective strength is eroded by other countries and regions more willing to invest in the future.” VISION. She suggested that Europe seemed to have lost some of its vision in this respect, and set out to rectify the situation. “I see a set of speed targets for 2020, which in some ways are ambitious but those F&vWG2??F?V?6V?fW2F???B??V?BF?f?6??????B?bV??RF??Vv?BF?Rv?&?B?v?BV?B??F?R#7BFV6V?&W"#"'WB?BF?F?( ?B?B?F??( ?BW?V7B?BF?V?B??##V?F?W"?f?6????VVG2F?&R???r?FW&??B?VVG2F?6VR&WGFW"v??b?f??r?"&W7G'V7GW&??r6?6?WG??fW"F??RF???RF?R??7B?b?WrFV6?????v?W2?B6W'f?6W2v???R&V?????r6??WF?F?fR??F?Rv??&?7FvR?( ?( ?WW&?^( ?2UR##7G&FVw??FV?F?f?W2?V?&W"?bFVW6VFVB?B???r?FW&?6???V?vW2f6??rWW&?R????rF?W6R6???V?vW2??vV??r6?6?WG??f???r&?GV7F?f?G????rF?vV?W&FRV6????2w&?wF???F?Rv??b?F?Rv??b?W&R?2F?R6???V?vW2F?Bf6RWW&?R?BF?RV?G??bF?R?WGv?&????6R?2???F?F?RV?G??b??W6W2&V??r'V??B?( ?( ?F??2?2v????6?W2?GFW"?6?V?G&?W2&R6???6??rF?&ReED??"eED2???F?R????72F?Bv?V?B?V?v??B?"6??fW"??B??7???W'26??Bv???6??F??VRF?ffV7BF?B'W6??W72FV6?6?????W&F?'2F???B?VVB?ff?&?F???'???7???W'2?bv?B6?V?B?V???v???bF?W&R&RF?&R??7???FW'fV?F???2?F?V?7W&V?F?W??W7B&R&?WBFV?fW&??r???vW"FW&?f?6???F?B7W?'G2F?R?VVG2?bWW&?R???B?V6W76&????FW&?2?bF?RFV?V6??6V7F?"W"6R?'WB&F?W"??FW&?2?b'&?FW"V6????2?B6?6?WF??VVG2?vR&R7F?fV?v?&???rF?G'?F?G&?fR6??R?bF?W6R?77VW2'WB6??v??rF?R??w&??VB6??'GFW&?6??b6??R?W&F?'2?Bv?fW&??V?G2?2???"6???V?vR?vR?VVBF?FG&W72F??2vR??RF?B6???rF????F??v????V?G&?vvW"F?RF?67W76?????6??2vV??2??F?R&W7B?bWW&?R?( ?6?R6?B?6?R6???V?vVBWfW'?FV?VvFR?B7V?W"BF?RWfV?B?F?v?&?F?B?GF?R&?B?&FW"?B????F?B?GF?R&?BFVWW"?( ??WN( ?26?F?RF?Vv?VW7F???2??WN( ?2f6RWF?F?R&?&?V?2?B????F?f??B?Wr6??WF???2F?F?V???WN( ?2&V?V7B7F?R?B6??6R???FVBF????r?B?V??W'6V?fW2F??Wr?76?&??F?W2????F?V?6?vR6??vRF?R'V?W2vR??V?FW"??F?W6RF?Vv??&?WG2?BV?F??FV?6??vRF?P???